


Revival

by LiteraryScribeT



Category: Angel Beats!, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Re:ゼロから始める異世界生活 | Re:Zero Starting Life in Another World (Anime), 僕だけがいない街 | ERASED, 四月は君の嘘 | Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso | Your lie in April
Genre: Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-08
Updated: 2017-04-08
Packaged: 2018-10-16 12:42:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 36,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10571547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiteraryScribeT/pseuds/LiteraryScribeT
Summary: Satoru Fujinuma thought that he knew everything about revival. It was his little blue butterfly that always came to him in times of need, allowing him to rewrite the future just as he did to save Kayo all those years before. However, when tragedy strikes and he needs to use revival once again, it's nowhere to be found. He comes to learn that everything he thought he knew was a lie and that there is so much more to revival than meets the eye. Determined to find it and change his future once again, Satoru sets off to uncover the real truth behind revival, leading him into a dark and twisted world, that only one girl has ever been able to navigate successfully. With her help, will Satoru be able to save his Airi and Saori? Will he be able to finally find, his little blue butterfly? Go on this journey, that will have you question all you thought you knew.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This was a fanfiction I wrote for an anime/manga fanfic contest on Movellas. It crosses over several anime and may contain spoilers, so be cautious. I hope you enjoy it!

Even until the end of time, I’ll continue to search for my little blue butterfly…

 

“May I take shelter with you from the snow?” I stare at the girl in front of me, her long chestnut hair falling down her shoulders. Her big round brown eyes stare at me with a gentle gaze and her plump lips are turned upwards into an inviting smile. I stare at this girl, familiar yet different, as the tears fall down my face. I don’t even try to stop them, because it’s finally happened, the day I’ve been waiting for since my final revival, the day where I met my soulmate, my Airi, once again. I never stopped believing. “Excuse me, is everything ok Sir? Are you hurt somewhere?”

I finally return to my senses and quickly wipe away my tears, I must look a complete mess. “Of course, I’d be happy if you did.” I smile pleasantly and her previously concerned expression becomes happy again. She stands beside me and fiddles with her camera. I find myself watching her intensely, until she glances at me from the side with curious expression and I immediately look away, finally realizing I was staring. I’m happy to see her, but I must remember that although I know who she is, she doesn’t know me in this timeline. I must make it appear that we are meeting for the first time. I try to make small talk. “The snow is really coming down huh?”

“Mm, yup!” She’s still her same cheerful self. “Do you dislike the snow? I personally find it relaxing. Isn’t it just wonderful to watch it fall and slowly pile up on the ground and trees?”

“I’ve never really thought about it to be honest. It’s always just been background cover and a real mess to drive in in. But I guess it is kind of nice, especially watching it with someone else.” She blushes and I realize I’m staring again. “I would think it would be I mean!” I turn away blushing.

“Mm.” She responds with a simple nod and the silence between us is stifling. I guess taking the initiative this time to break the silence, she adds to the conversation. “So, what are you doing in a place like this alone? You look like a professional, were you on your way home from work?”

“No, I was actually just taking a break. I’m just a manga artist, I wouldn’t go as far to say I’m a professional or anything.” I fidget nervously. “So how about you? Are you a photographer?”

She shakes her head. “Uh-uh, I’m actually attending university, for what exactly…well I’m not really sure to be honest. I just enjoy taking pictures for fun. Capturing moments in time is my hobby. I know it’s a bit strange, but I’ve just always had this obsession with time. Weird huh?”

I feel a warm sensation in my chest. It’s a feeling of…destiny. I know now, I mean I’ve always believed, but now I know for sure, Airi is my destiny and I will always find her in any timeline. “No, it’s not weird at all, it’s great, really.” She smiles, seeming pleased with my response. I finally reach out my hand to give a proper introduction. “My name is Satoru, Satoru Fujinuma.”

She puts out her hand to meet mine. “My name is Airi Katagiri, nice to meet you Fujinuma-san.”

***

After our hands touched, the rest was history. A week after this meeting we went on our first date. Two weeks after that, I met her parents and she met my mother. Three weeks later we were engaged and one month later we were husband and wife. Two weeks after that, she was with child. Three months was all it took for us to reach our happy ever after. Three months may seem short to onlookers, but for us, it had already felt like a lifetime.

Just three months to build the rest of our lives, but it took only three years to tear it apart and send me to the pits of despair. On a cold, stormy night, where the snow fell thick upon the ground, my Airi and our child Saori, were taken from me in the instant it took for a careless driver to run us off the road. It was on that night, that I found myself faced with the need to call upon revival again, but there was just one problem…it never came. Even four years later, I’m still waiting, but I refuse to lose hope, because I believe in my little blue butterfly. I believe that just like before, it will bring her to me. The thing about revival though, is that it’s not an infinite thing. I thought that I knew what it was all about. I thought that it was meant to be a chance. A chance to go back and make things right. A chance to go back in time and change a future. A chance to reset the timeline and start again, building something new just as I did with Airi in this one. Just as I used it to go back and save Kayo all those years ago. I thought I knew about the phenomenon known as revival, but now I realize…I knew nothing.

So now, I’ve decided that I’m done waiting around for a miracle to come to me. I’ve always waited for my little blue butterfly to send me a sign, but this time, I will go to it. I will find my butterfly, no matter if I must enter the depths of hell, traverse worlds or transcend time. Somehow I will find a way to reach it, to pull it within my grasp and go back again. If I can, if I do it, then surely, I will find her. I will find them both. Because if there’s one thing I know about revival, is that it will always lead me to you. So wait for me Airi, Saori, I’m coming soon.

 

You may think you know the truth about revival, but soon you’ll see, you know nothing at all…


	2. Even After All These Years...I'm Still an Idiot

The snow falls hard against the pavement, the icy condensation stacking up one flake upon the other. It’s silent, as one would expect for a Tuesday night, on a desolate road. The smell of blood and gasoline hangs heavy in the air, the pungent odor filling the nostrils of single man, sprawled upon the pavement, his glasses thrown from his face after being forcefully ejected from his car. As the scent permeates within his nasal cavity, he is jolted awake, taking in a deep breath. As he desperately sucks in air, his head is propped up, the blood dripping down his pale face and into his blue eyes. Strands of his blue-black hair brush across his forehead, as he struggles to look around. His eyes finally come to rest on the scene before him. To the left, there is a truck, the front smashed in and it’s driver seemingly unconscious in the driver’s seat. To the right, flipped over into the embankment, is another car, a van, and it’s wrecked far more so, the windows smashed in and the gasoline leaking out. The smoking hood shows a slight ember and the man realizes that the car is going to explode. He knows he must reach it at all costs.

With all the strength he can muster, he drags himself across the road and after extraneous effort, he makes it to the passenger’s seat. Inside he can see a woman, her chestnut hair obscuring half her face, but the man can easily recognize her. “A-Airi….” He attempts to pull open the door, but it’s jammed. The window is broken, but the car has been smashed in, making it too small to fit through. Through to the back, he can see a smaller girl, her matching chestnut hair flung about, but her blue eyes can be seen clearly. “Saori….” The man reaches for the trembling girls hands, but she seems to be pinned down by something. The little girl starts to cry and this makes the woman stir. She quickly finds the strength to wiggle her way into the back seat and hold the child against her, though she is unable to free her from her constraints. “Airi!”

The woman looks at the man and weakly smiles. “Sa-toru….” She holds her hand out to him and when it meets his, she smiles through her tears. “I’m sorry Satoru, it looks like we’ll be going before you.” The man begins to cry. “But if it’s you, I know you will find us again. We’ll be waiting.” The flames at once become high and the man can feel the heat against his arm.

“No…no!” He desperately pulls at the door, begging it to open up, but it won’t budge. Even though his arm burns, he refuses to give up. The woman shields the child from the flames as she sings her a gentle song to soothe her tears. “Saori…Airi….” They both look up and the last thing he sees is their smiling faces, before he’s yanked away and all that’s left is blackness.

***

“Satoru.” A woman’s gentle voice can be heard in the distance. “Sa-to-ru!” Her voice becomes more aggressive and Satoru springs up, having been forcefully pulled from his dream. He’s covered in sweat and he holds his face in his hand as he catches his breath. The woman calling out to him tosses him a wet cloth, it smacking him in his face and flopping on the bed. “Wake up already would you? It’s already half past two! Have you eaten anything recently?”

Satoru wipes his sweat with the warm cloth as he responds groggily. “I had bread last night, or maybe it was at lunch…I think.” Satoru peeks from behind the cloth to see the woman’s round face and equally round light brown eyes glaring at him. “Actually, I think it was dinner.”

Her short matching hair brushes against her neck as she leans forward and smacks him behind the head as she shouts, “are you an idiot?!” No matter how old they get, she never fails to use her favorite insult from their childhood. “You’ve got to eat Satoru! I promised Sachiko that I’d keep an eye on you while she’s away for these few weeks, but I can’t be here all day and night. I’ve got another little kid to take care of at home, not to mention I’ve neglected poor Hiromi. Though it’s not like he minds that much since the hospital keeps him busy all the time….”

She rambles on about her life and responsibilities and Satoru can’t help but feel guilty and maybe just a bit envious. “I’m sorry Kayo, I really am the worst taking you away from your husband and child. Mirai most of all, she’s nine now isn’t she? I can hardly believe she’s gotten so big.”

Kayo looks at Satoru with slight regret, she hadn’t meant to seem like she was complaining. “Yes that’s right, she just made nine last month. I invited you to come to her party, but Sachiko said you weren’t feeling well that day. We got your present though, she really loved it.”

Satoru looks at Kayo in confusion, but then realizes it must have been Sachiko, his ever doting mother. Not that he can complain though, she’s done more for him than he could ever repay her for and even now that hasn’t changed. “That’s great. I’m really glad she liked it.” He’s somber.

Kayo sits beside him. “Was it the dream again? The dream of that night? Have they returned?”

Satoru looks down and smiles weakly. “I still remember their faces, smiling at me with so much hope, just before I was snatched away. Saori would’ve been six in a couple of months you know. I think she and Mirai would’ve gotten along great and would have been the best of friends. But that didn’t happen, all because I wasn’t strong enough to free them. I was just too weak.”

“Satoru….” Kayo watches as Satoru does his best to hold back his tears. “There was nothing-.”

“I could’ve saved them! I could’ve saved them if that fireman hadn’t pulled me away. I know the car was about to explode, but I believe I could’ve saved them if I had just stayed. If I had stayed than either I would’ve have failed and died along with them as I should, or revival would’ve activated and I would’ve been able to save them before it all even happened. I could’ve.”

Kayo sighs. “Satoru, I understand feeling like you didn’t do enough, but there really was nothing you could’ve done to save them. Even the firefighters had to use a machine to open that door. If you’d stayed there another second longer, you would’ve died too. I know that you believe in this so called “revival” that will come to save the day whenever something bad happens and you say it’s what allowed you to save me, but I think it’s just you trying to rationalize your actions. Saving Hiromi and I was an extraordinary thing, but it was you who did that, not some magical butterfly. You may not wish to believe it, but you are a hero Satoru, our hero, but you’re not a Superhero. You don’t possess magical powers such as controlling time. You can’t go back and make it so that the accident never happened. I know it’s hard Satoru, but I think it’s time for you to just accept reality now. Sachiko didn’t want me to say anything, but it’s been four years! Airi and Saori are gone and as much as it hurts, they are never coming back. You need to move on!”

Kayo looks at Satoru and instantly regrets what she just said. She’d meant to give him some tough love and drag him out of his stupor, but she didn’t mean to be quite that harsh. She sees that he still looks down and his smile has gone, but he doesn’t seem to have any particular reaction either. “Satoru, I didn’t mean-.”

“It’s ok. I know Kayo. You’re right, I’m not a Superhero, like I said, I’m weak. That’s why I couldn’t save them myself. I can’t prove that revival exists either and I don’t expect you to believe me, but I know it’s out there and I’ve made up my mind to find it, so I can find them.

Kayo doesn’t respond and for several minutes, there is an awkward silence between them, until Kayo finally speaks. “You know, sometimes Hiromi and I wonder if we made a mistake. We think back to the fact that you got hurt saving us, yet we went and moved on without you. More so, I wonder if maybe I should’ve waited for you to wake up. I often wonder that maybe if I had waited, things would be different. We’ve both already cheated death once right? So perhaps if we’d been together, such a tragic fate wouldn’t have befallen upon us. Perhaps Airi would still-.”

“Don’t.” Kayo is startled by Satoru’s sudden interjection. “Don’t do that Kayo, to either of us.” He looks at her now, right in her eyes with a serious expression. “You and Hiromi did nothing wrong. I can’t deny that I had feelings for you back then and I know you probably shared them for me as well. If things had been different, then maybe we would’ve been together in the end, but they weren’t. Things were as they were and you decided to move on with your life rather than wait around for who knows how long for me. I could’ve been asleep for a lifetime and you would’ve wasted your own life waiting. No one could know when I’d wake up and it’s not certain that things would have even worked out between us. Our feelings as children are rarely the same as adults and so things may have still gone differently. I believe that things happen as they are meant to and that you were destined to be with Hiromi and me with Airi. You even went and made that precious little girl. So please don’t say you want to give it all back. You should cherish your life and the family you’re fortunate to have, just as I wish to do the same.”

“Then….” She puts on a serious expression too. “If you truly believe that, then don’t you think that the accident was also your fate. Perhaps you are meant to cherish the moments you had with them, as short as it may have been, and use those memories to get stronger and move on with your life. Don’t you think Airi would want you to live? You were fortunate enough to be saved, so rather than moping around believing a miracle will come, why not go out and live life for the three of you? I’m sure there is much more left for you to discover and new memories to make.”

“You’re right Kayo, there are memories left for me to make and I will make them, but to do that I have to find them again. There is no one out there for me but Airi, revival has proven that. That is why I must find it, because it always leads me to her. You are free to call me mad, I would too if I were you, but I know it’s out there and I’m going to prove it. I’ve even got some leads.”

Suddenly excited and full of newfound energy, Satoru jumps up and grabs his laptop. He boots it up and starts navigating through various pages, as Kayo just watches. “You’re really serious?”

“I am. Look at this.” He moves closer so she can see the screen. On it are several webpages, he clicks to the first one. “I’ve compiled a list of all the reports of time travel or the traversing of worlds and found many occurrences. There’s something about a Stein’s Gate, a man was apparently able to return to an adolescent with his ReLife ability, another guy with his Rewrite ability and the most interesting of all, this guy reported of his Return by Death ability. All of these people were able to go back in time for either personal gain or to save their loved ones.”

“You really believe all of this nonsense? I bet most of those people were either lying for attention, insane or delusional. If people could really do such things, they’d never be able to talk about it so openly. They’d be committed in no time and probably experimented on.”

“Well that I can agree on. Most of these reports have been called hoaxes and anyone connected to them have been silenced or have gone into hiding. I’ve only been able to find an address on one of them and it was all by chance. The Return by Death guy, Subaru Natsuki, he posted on my forum post asking for anyone connected to these reports to contact me. He responded, saying to give up on my foolish quest and then deleted his account, but I was able to see his location in his comment, as it didn’t disappear as instantly as his actual profile page. He lives in a rural town not far from here. I figure I should be able to find him by word of mouth after I go there.”

“You’re planning on going there? You plan to track down this guy who for all you know may be a nut job and what…? Will you ask him to borrow his power? No, more likely you’ll be shot.”

“I don’t plan to ask for his power, I doubt he could lend it anyway. I just figure that if I can speak to someone else who knows about time travel and similar phenomenon, I’ll be able to find out more information and it’ll lead me in the right direction towards finding my revival.”

“You’re serious about this. I thought you were joking, but I can finally see that you are completely serious.” He nods in affirmation. Kayo sighs. “No chance I can make you give up?”

“No, I’ve made up my mind. I can’t keep waiting around for it to find me, so I’ll go to it.”

“You really believe you’ll find it if you follow this path? Even if it proves to be dangerous?”

“I’m not scared of danger; I’ve already lived through my fair share. This isn’t just for my sake, it’s for them too. The last thing Airi said to me was that she’d be waiting for me to find them. She believed in me and revival, when no one else did. So I’m going to believe in her too. I believe that when I find revival again, I will find her and Saori. So even if I have to enter the pits of hell, I will do it. I don’t care what happens to me, as long as I can see them again.”

Kayo can see that he’s made up his mind and that no amount of reasoning is going to change it. So although she feels it’s a fool’s quest, she chooses to trust in Satoru, just as she trusted him all those years ago. “Fine, but I can’t let you go on an empty stomach. I’ll cook you some meals and I’ll cover with Sachiko for you. But you’re going to owe me big time when you get back!”

Satoru smiles appreciatively at his old friend, Kayo Hinazuki. “Thanks Kayo, you’re the best.”

“Don’t you forget it!” She laughs and enters the kitchen to start preparing the food.

While he waits, Satoru browses through more of his researched pages. He can see that throughout history there have been many cases of unexplained occurrences involving time travel. However, they all have one thing in common, no matter the circumstances. They all mention, reference or reveal the presence of a supernatural force. Most of these cases call it, The Witch. This witch is said to be the one behind all of these occurrences and responsible for giving people these extraordinary opportunities of powers. However, no one can speak on what this witch is like or where she comes from. No one seems to have encountered the witch directly and lived to tell about it, or if they managed to make it out, they have no recollection of it. However, of all the cases, it seems that Natsuki-san has somehow been successful in facing this witch and living to see another day, though no details beyond this have been mentioned. So it’s Satoru’s intention to ask him about this witch and where he may find her. He may not know or be unwilling to say, but if it comes to that, he does have a backup plan. Another name that has often come up.

“Is pork cutlet ok Satoru? I don’t have the ingredients for Hamburg steak, but I can go and-.”

“That’s fine!” He calls back to Kayo who’s speaking from the kitchen. She acknowledges and gets back to cooking. Satoru goes back to looking up info on this mysterious girl. She’s said to have not only faced the witch and survived, but she apparently fought alongside her fellow teammates to do so. It’s said that the witch has a world of her very own and she resides in that world with her hordes of minions. These minions are said to have been born from the very girls who fought against them, these so called “magical girls”. It sounds like something out of a Shoujo manga that even Satoru didn’t believe at first, but the more he looked into it, the more he started to, though the source of this information is a group of fanatics believed to be speaking of no more than folktales. They say there have been many teams of these girls, but none have quite reached the level of notoriety and fame that these five girls had. Their battles against the witches are legendary, and one member in particular, their leader, named Madoka, is a true legend. However, no one seems to remember her and believe she was an imaginary member. One member is reported dead and two are living together in a life of retirement. However, there was a final member, the one who Satoru is most interested in, who’s said to have crossed through and lived many timelines, but she’s reportedly vanished. “Just where are you, Homura Akemi-san?”


	3. Into the Woods

“You’re really sure about this? It’s not too late to give up on this Satoru.” Kayo pleads with her eyes, though she’s already decided she wouldn’t tell him not to go.

Satoru can tell she’s trying to be supportive despite thinking he shouldn’t go and he can’t help but appreciate her even more after feeling like this, but choosing not to say anything. “I’ve got to do this Kayo, not just for them, but for me too. I believe I’ll find it, but even if I can’t and it does turn out to be a fool’s quest, at least then I can come home with my head held high knowing I tried my best and that Airi won’t hate me for failing. I’ll be ok either way, I swear.”

Kayo can see his determination and she does have to admit, this is the first time she’s seen any real life in his eyes since the accident happened. She still doesn’t know if she can believe this revival is really out there and that it will lead him to them, but she can believe in Satoru and so that’s all that matters. So she puts on a supportive smile and sticks out her hand. “Here!”

Satoru looks down to see a large bento box. It looks big enough to hold several meals. “All of this is for me? I feel like that could easily feed four people.” He takes it with an amused grin.

“Well, you need to replenish your energy and get some meat on your bones. Besides, you’ll be traveling through dinner and through the night, so I wouldn’t want you getting stranded somewhere and left to starve. Though really, why leave tonight? Why not get a fresh start early in the morning? I doubt Natsuki-san would appreciate having a guest so late at night.”

“I understand, thanks Kayo. As for why I need to leave tonight, well really I just want to make up for lost time. Besides, I slept late, so I won’t be tired for a while. I’ll also need time to ask around and find out exactly where in the town he lives, so I will find an Inn once I arrive to the town. I promise I won’t get stranded somewhere, but if I do, I definitely won’t starve.” He grins.

“You really are an idiot.” She scowls, but only half-heartedly and then laughs. After settling down she gets serious. “I guess you should get going.” He nods. “Take care then on your journey and I wish you all the luck in the world. I really do hope you find your happiness Satoru, truly.”

“Thanks Kayo…for everything. Give Hiromi and Mirai my best.” He bends down to give her a hug, which she returns happily. “If things go well, you may not remember this moment, but I’ll definitely be back in one timeline or another, I promise. See you!” He waves and walks away.

“See you.” Kayo whispers gently. She sends him off with a smile, but somehow she has a bad feeling. She feels as though things will never be the same after this and it feels a bit lonely.

***

Satoru travels through the night and five hours later, her arrives to a small town in the Japanese country side just after midnight. He finds a small building that has dim lights and looks like is the one thing that’s still open. “This must be the Inn I guess.” He walks up to the door and carefully opens it. “Excuse me, I’m coming in.” He walks inside and closes the door behind him. He stands there, waiting for signs of anyone coming, but there is no one and it doesn’t seem like any lights are on either. “Are they asleep?” He walks a bit further in. “Excuse me!”

“Hey, quiet down! There are people sleeping!” Satoru is startled to hear a voice so abruptly. He comes faces to face with an older man, bald except for a grey mustache on his face, wearing a robe. “What do you think you’re doing shouting this late at night? Do you know what time it is?”

Satoru quickly bows. “I’m so sorry for the intrusion Sir, it’s just that I’ve been traveling for several hours and was hoping that I could get a room for the night. I understand it’s late. Sorry.”

The old man looks at him with a scowl. “You’re not from around here are you boy?”

“No Sir, I was coming to visit with someone, but unfortunately I don’t know exactly where they might live. All I know is that it’s in this town.”

“You come here at this time of the night and you don’t even know where the person you’ve come to visit lives? Are you an idiot?” Satoru can’t help but laugh. “What’s so funny?!”

“I’m sorry it’s just…you wouldn’t believe how often I get asked that.” The old man looks at him like he’s strange. “In any case, would there be a room available for me tonight?”

“I don’t usually take kindly to people coming in so late, just be happy I wasn’t already asleep. I suppose I could rent you a room, but I want full payment now, for the inconvenience.”

“Of course Sir, that won’t be a problem.” Satoru follows the man to a counter and pays the requested amount. “Thank you again for this on such short notice. It helps a lot.”

“Yea sure. You get breakfast in the morning, you’re on your own for other meals. Name’s Hiro. If you need anything, please feel free to ask…in the morning!” He says this adamantly.

“Of course, thank you very much Hiro-san.” Satoru bows once again and then walks to where he was told his room was. He opens the door to find a simple room, with a futon folded on the side. “It’s small, but it’ll be fine for the night.” He starts to close the door, but then hears Hiro speak.

“Sorry, almost forgot your linen. Here you go.” He hands Satoru sheets and bath linen.

“Thank you again Hiro-san.” He bows and Hiro waves passively. He starts to walk away, but then Satoru realizes that perhaps he may know where Natsuki-san lives. “Uh, sorry….”

“Hmm? What’s it now boy? I don’t have all night.” He looks a bit impatient.

“Yes, sorry! I just…well as I mentioned before, I’m looking for someone I am acquainted with but don’t know his address. So I was wondering if maybe you’d know. I figure as an Inn keeper you must know most people in this town. His name is Natsuki Subaru-san.”

Hiro’s eyes get big and his expression becomes dark. “Hey boy, what business do you have coming around here asking about such a man? No, that’s no man. Rather, that demon?”

Satoru can see the seriousness in his face and feels unsettled. “Demon? No, I’m not looking for anything like that. As far as I know, this is a man. He seems to have an interesting story so I-.”

“Listen boy! You don’t go near that demon, or you’ll end up regretting it! That ain’t no man, no man would settle down with a witch unless he was a demon. Besides, he’s nothing short of mad. An absolute maniac, going on about witches, curses and the likes as though he’s not married to one. We ran him out of town years ago after he showed up randomly in the middle of town with that real witch. Claimed they’d been trapped in some fantasy world and were barely able to escape. He was convinced the witch would be coming back for them and became completely paranoid and wouldn’t trust anyone. Accused us all of deceiving him and working with the witch. They ended up deep in the woods and that’s where they’ve been since. No one goes near them and they never will as long as they stay away from town. They live in isolation, forgotten.”

Satoru can’t believe what he’s hearing. “You say he’s married to a witch?” Could it be…?

“Listen, I don’t want to hear nothing more about him or witches, understand? Or you can find yourself another place to stay. Though you won’t cause we’re the only place in this town.”

He can tell the man is very nervous about discussing the topic further so he lets it go. “Yes.”

Hiro leaves and Satoru closes his door. He sits on the ground, still stunned by all he just heard. “He’s married to a witch?” Satoru feels like he may have stumbled onto something big, but now he’s got to find him. All he has to go on is that he does indeed live near this town deep in the woods. Though he remembers that the woods looked quite dense when he arrived and could easily take a day to search. However, if it’s what he has to do to find it, then he’ll do what he must. “I will do whatever it takes.” He makes this declaration and then prepares himself to sleep.

***

“Thank you for your hospitality Hiro-san! I’ll be on my way now.” Satoru bows.

“Of course.” Satoru waves and starts to leave, but Hiro has another thing to say. “Hey boy….”

Satoru looks back. He finds it funny he’s calling him boy when he’s already 39 years old, but he guesses from his perspective he must seem like one. “Yes?”

“No good will come from digging where you don’t belong. I suggest you go on home now.”

“I plan to Sir, really I do, but I can’t until I speak to him. I appreciate your concern. Bye now.” Satoru waves once again and then goes on his way, not waiting around to give him another opportunity to try and talk him out of it. He’s sure he means well, but he can’t turn back now, not when he’s this close. So he carries on and steps off the path, and heads deep into the forest.

***

After walking all through the morning and into the afternoon, the sun is starting to set. Satoru decides to sit and eat a couple of the bread assortments Kayo packed into his bento. That’s just like her, to anticipate that he may need something non-perishable to last a while. By the time he’s done, the forest has become dark and creepy. He had hoped he’d find something by now, but all he’s seen is trees since he entered the forest. Just as he thinks that maybe he should head back, there is a sudden white mist and the temperature seems to drop several degrees. Satoru starts to shiver and gets a very uneasy feeling. He packs up his bag and attempts to go back the way he came, but he can’t see anything from beyond the mist and the temperature seems to be continually stopping by the second. Eventually, it all becomes too much to handle and he falls to his knees, feeling as though his skin is getting iced over. “Get out.” He hears a sudden voice, but just barely a whisper and hears motion in the trees beside him. “Get out.”

“Who-, who’s there?!” He hears the trees rustle again, something moving closer. “Please I-.”

“Get out!” Louder than ever, the whisper rings through his ears. “Or you will perish.”

“Please! I mean no harm! I just, I’m looking for someone. My name is Fujinuma Satoru and I came to find Natsuki Subaru-san. I just wanted to ask for his help. I just wanted to find my family!” Satoru shivers, the cold starting to overwhelm him. He feels his eyes going hazy. Am I going to die? Am I going to die here in these woods before getting back to you? I’m sorry Airi, Saori, I’m coming soon. His eyes are almost closed, but just before his consciousness fades, he’s sure he sees the gaze of two large yellow eyes in the darkness, watching him intently.


	4. The King of Madness

Satoru feels the rays of the morning sun shine down onto his face and his body feels extra warm, as though it’s absorbing the warmth to make up for the freezing conditions of last night. “Last night!” He springs up in a panic, suddenly remembering his near death experience of last night. “Am I dead?” He feels himself and looks around, to see a normal looking bedroom. From all the stuffed animals and toys around, it appears to be a child’s room. “Where am I?”

“Ah! He’s awake!” Satoru is alerted to a voice coming from the side of him and twists his head around to find its source. Standing before him is a small child, likely no more than two, wearing a cute onesie with an animal ear hood. He stares at Satoru in excitement, then shouts, “Mama!”

He runs out and soon after, Satoru hears the gentle voice of a woman. “Yes, Yes Koharu, what is it? Oh, I see. Let’s bring him some soup then. You carry the spoon ok? Let’s go now.” Soon after, the boy returns and behind him comes a woman, dressed in a white dress, also with an animal ear hood, though her long white hair can be seen coming down her shoulders. She smiles sweetly once she makes eye contact with Satoru. “Good morning Fujinuma-san, how are you?”

Satoru is caught off guard by hearing his name. “Uh, I…you know my name? Who are you?”

“Ah!” She seems as though it slipped her mind. “I’m sorry, it was rude of me not to introduce myself. My name is Emilia Natsuki and this is my home I share with my husband and three children. The little one here is our youngest, Koharu-chan. My older girls, Rem and Ram are twins and they are out playing with their Papa. I know your name from Puck, my dearest friend. He’s actually the one who brought you here last night, saying you had business with Subaru.”

Satoru can barely believe his ears, but he’s very glad he’s hearing it. “Subaru? Don’t tell me…. Are you Natsuki-san’s wife? This is his home? Natsuki Subaru-san?”

“Yes….” Emilia looks uncertain. “Is there a problem?”

“No, not at all, the opposite actually. It’s just, I was actually looking for Natsuki-san, but didn’t know exactly where he lived, hence why I was in the forest at such a late hour. I thought I’d never find it.” He suddenly remembers he’s a guest in someone’s house. “I’m very sorry for my rudeness. I am Satoru Fujinuma and I’ve come to meet with Natsuki-san regarding some things. Thank you for your care and hospitality. If it had not been for your friend Puck and your graciousness, I could very well be a frozen block out there right now.” He bows.

“No, not at all.” She seems nervous. “Anyway, we’ve brought some soup, please have some to warm you up even more. Is pork stew ok for you?” She holds out a tray with a bowl and rice.

Satoru looks at it and suddenly feels famished. “Oh yes, this is just fine. Thank you very much.” He takes the tray. The boy comes over and hands over the spoon with his short hands. His violet eyes are filled with innocence. “Is this for me.” He nods. “Thank you very much Koharu-chan.”

“Yes!” He runs out the door as he yells, “I’m going to play with Papa and the girls!”

“Ok, be careful now!” She calls after him before he disappears from sight. “Such a rambunctious boy he is. Though he’s got a noble heart, just like his Papa.” She turns to Satoru. “Is it ok?”

“Yes, it’s delicious, thank you. Your boy seems very kind hearted. Reminds me of my girl.”

“Oh, you have children too? How old are they? Are they back home with your wife?”

Satoru looks somber for a moment, but then perks up. “Yes, you could say that. Just one girl, she’s two. I desperately need to get back to them, which is why I was seeking his help.”

“Oh, I see. Well, I’m not sure how Subaru can help you get back to them, but he will give it his all trying if it’s within his power. He never gives up; no matter how hard things get.”

“I see, that’s great to hear. May I speak with him once I’ve finished my meal?”

“Of course, you may. He’s out back with the kids. Please make yourself at home.”

“Thank you Natsuki-san.” Satoru smiles pleasantly. She nods and then leaves him to eat his food.

Once he finishes eating, he gets up and brings his tray in the kitchen. Emilia isn’t around, so he just places it in the sink. He looks around at the small cottage, the kitchen joined to a small nook area with a basic seating are for a small family. It’s simple and quaint, prefect for a family trying to lay low and avoid attention. Despite what Hiro had said, he didn’t see anything strange about Emilia that would make her seem like a witch or anything bad. She seemed to be nothing but sweet and kind. Satoru is convinced that they just misjudged them and that they are a normal family like any other. Satoru hears what sounds like laughing outside, towards the back of the hut and he remembered that Emilia did mention Subaru was outside with the twins. He walks to the back door and gently opens it, walking outside. He can see Koharu and two bigger, but still young children jumping around along with a man in a tracksuit who must be Subaru.

“Victory!” He does jumping jacks as he says this and the kids follow along as they laugh. Satoru watches them in silence, enjoying seeing such happy moments, moments he missed dearly. He’s caught in the moment, with his eyes closed, but soon after, he realizes it’s quiet, too quiet. He opens his eyes and sees that they are gone and as he looks around, there is no one. “Hey.”

Satoru jumps at the sudden voice beside his ear and twists around to see the man behind him. He’s smiling pleasantly, his eyes closed and squinted upwards and although a smile usually means warm intentions, Satoru can’t help but feel unsettled. “I’m sorry, you just startled me.”

“Oh did I? I apologize, it’s far too noisy for me to gauge my voice level and I yell.”

Satoru is confused. “Noisy? It’s actually quite silent I thought. Nothing like the city.”

“The silence is precisely what I’m referring to, it’s quite deafening, isn’t it?”

“I…I’m not quite sure what you mean.”

“Of course, you wouldn’t. You’re far too sane.” He walks to the side. “Please follow me Satoru.”

“You already know my name too? Did your friend Puck also tell you who I was?”

“There was no need, I can always read a tortured soul and yours is quite the easy read.” He leads him off to the side, such that they are partially in the forest and away from the house. This makes Satoru a bit nervous, especially after what Hiro had said. “Don’t be afraid, I’m not planning on killing you or anything, I couldn’t dare steal her glory. She has plans for you Satoru and they will destroy your very soul.” He stares off into the woods and Satoru feels a chill run up his spine.

“She? Who is this woman you are referring to? What plans could she possibly have for me?”

“Who can say. It’s always different, yet it’s all the same in the end. She always wins.”

“You seem to speak from experience. Has this person wronged you somehow?”

“Has she wronged me you ask?” He starts laughing. “You don’t get marked by her and not be wronged. She will not rest until she’s taken everything from you and left you insane.”

“Natsuki-san, could it be…that you are referring to…the witch?”

“Shhh!” He shushes him and then starts laughing. However, just as quickly as he does this, his face gets serious, though his eyes remain closed. “We don’t speak of her out loud.”

“So you acknowledge she exists. Please then, tell me about her and where I could find her.”

“Oh no Satoru, you will never find her, she finds you. Even if you don’t want to see her, you cannot escape, you cannot hide, you cannot get away. Though it seems she’s already found you and has taken something dear to you. Let me guess, she’s taken your family hasn’t she?”

Satoru’s eyes go wide. “How, how did you know? How can you be so sure she’s after me?”

“Your stench of course!” He finally approaches Satoru and grabs his shoulder. Satoru comes face to face with him and his eyes, which are pale and lifeless and send a chill through him. “You reek of her scent. It’s how she enacts her curse against you. She imbues your body with her essence and like a beacon, it draws all sorts of misfortune towards you, until there’s nothing.”

Satoru can see him staring at him in a frenzy, seeming distracted, as though remembering unpleasant things. “Um Natsuki-san, sorry, but could you please let go?” He snaps out of it and releases Satoru. Satoru straightens up and says, “So, do you know where I can find her?”

“You really are an idiot aren’t you Satoru?” He walks over to a tree stump and sits. “Maybe if I tell you what happened to me you’ll become sensible and move on with your life while you still have it.” After a few moments of silence, he speaks again. “I used to be a simple young man, living in Japan on my own. I wasn’t living the dream, but I was happy with my simple life and I got by. However, one day I was pulled into a strange world and it was there that I met Emilia. I was instantly smitten, but I soon realized that this world was not going to be a sweet romance opportunity. I instead was dragged into a terrible conflict, and she was the instigator.”

“The witch you mean? She was responsible for this conflict you are referring to?”

“Yes, she set it all in motion, with the help of her wicked cult and I was the center of it all. She used me as the catalyst for it all, while at the same time making me the solution. She basically made it so that I would suffer immensely from having to relive the events over and over again, but also made it that I was the only one who could save everyone and end the loop. After many trials and errors and many loops of suffering, I finally came face to face with her and it was only by the sacrifice of all my friends that I’m alive today. They all banded together to help me defeat her, but even that wasn’t a true end. All it did was pacify her enough to allow me to escape with Emilia and puck. The two of us alone survived, the lives of our friends as our bail money. She sent us back here to Japan, but we appeared here with nothing but ourselves and because of Emilia’s appearance, they called her a witch. Just like in that world, she was still being ridiculed all for being different. No one would believe us and they attacked us, so we fled and hid out deep in these woods. Puck keeps people away, like our personal guard. The only reason you even survived was because you mentioned you knew me. I had spent years since we arrived here trying to prove everything that happened and even went on a fool’s quest like yours to try and find answers, but all I was left with was dead ends and suffering. I finally realized that nothing would come of it and I was wasting my life. I had Emilia by my side, I finally had her, after paying such a high cost, so I refused to squander it any longer. I settled down here with her and we started our family. We’ve been very happy these last several years and that’s how I want it to stay. So that’s why when I saw your blog post that time, I just couldn’t help but send you that response. I had hoped you’d take my warning and give up, but like a fool you actually followed the trail all the way here to find me. You must be truly desperate to get your family back, and I do understand, but no good will come of this. If you really love your family, you should just give up and live your life for them. Don’t lose your mind to her games. If you pursue her, you will certainly regret it. She will take it as a challenge to her and you will suffer to no end. She will make you wish you were dead, but she won’t let you die. You will become mad, just as I did.”

As though to prove his point, he starts laughing again, but it’s more crazed than before. Satoru can see he’s slowly losing his grip on sanity as they speak and so he decides it’d be best to ask him his final question, before he’s completely gone. “Natsuki-san, I’m sorry to make you think about this, but just one more thing. Do you know where I could find Homura Akemi-san?”

Getting an instant reaction, Subaru’s eyes snap open and he looks at Satoru with a crazed look in his eyes. “Homura…Akemi-san….” He grits his teeth and shouts. “Homura Akemi-san!” Subaru charges Satoru and before he can react, he tackles him to the ground and his hands are wrapped tightly against his throat. “Homura Akemi-san! Did she send you? Is that why you’ve come?!”

Satoru reaches for his hands and attempts to pry them off, but he’s too strong. “Please….”

“I’ll kill you! You dare mention that name?! She wants to torment me even more now?!”

Satoru feels like he’s starting to fade from consciousness, but then he hears a shout. “Subaru!” Emilia arrives and calms him down. “Subaru stop, he’s innocent!” She grabs his face and makes him look at her. “Subaru, it’s me see, look, it’s me. I’m here now.” He finally seems to notice.

His grip slowly loosens, until finally he lets go, allowing Satoru to roll on his side and breath. She hugs him and he starts calming down. She turns to Satoru. “I’m sorry about that, but that name is one of his triggers. You say you’re looking for the witch right?” He nods. “Well, if you really want to find her, Akemi-san would be the person to ask. She’s closer to her than anyone. I don’t know all the details as Subaru doesn’t talk about those things anymore, but that much I know. However, I wish you’d reconsider. I still don’t know what Subaru went through before and he won’t talk about it. For me, the battle against her happened, we lost many of our friends and narrowly escaped to this land, but for Subaru, it seems it was just an end to a long nightmare. He still has nightmares about whatever it is he went through and he often suffers random breaks in his sanity throughout the day. It used to terrify the kids and me at times, but they’ve come to accept it as part of our life now and so they don’t get scared, but they still avoid him at those times as we’ve instructed them to. It hasn’t been easy, living with Subaru and trying to live the life we’ve chosen, but even with his madness, as hard as it can be to handle, in the end we always know, that he loves us and has a good heart underneath it all. We’ve become a twisted family, outcasts to the town, such that only the twins can go to the town for our necessities because no one knows they are our children. But even still, we’ve found our way to happiness, so I’d rather not bring all these things on the witch or otherwise up again. I’m sorry he couldn’t be more help to you and that he attacked you, but now that you’ve said what you wanted, I ask you to please leave. This isn’t good for him and you won’t get anything else from him. I wish you the best on your journey, and pray it leads you to the happiness you are searching for. Take care.” She helps Subaru up and guides his almost lifeless body inside, saying nothing more.

Satoru stands, still a bit shaken and walks back to the house. He finds his things on the porch, along with a bento box he can only assume was made for him by Emilia to take with him on his way. He collects these items and looks back at the house. He bows down to it, though no one is looking and says farewell. “Thank you fo everything. I’ll be taking my leave now.” He enters the woods again, this time looking to get out and back to town. He finds this takes much less time and in no time he’s back in front of the Inn. He sees Hiro sweeping out front.

Hiro looks up as he approaches. “So, you’ve returned I see. Did you find him?”

Satoru begins to answer honestly, but then reconsiders. He’d rather just respect their privacy and have the town believe they’ve really vanished. “No, I’m afraid not. I’ll have to change my plan.”

“Well, that’d be for the best. Will you be staying another night or will you be on your way?”

“I’ll be on my way actually, thank you Sir. It was a pleasure receiving your hospitality.”

“Ah, don’t mention it. Now get going on home boy, enjoy your youth while you can.”

“Of course Sir, thank you. Well, I’ll be going now. Thanks again and take care.”

“Yea, you take care as well boy. Safe travels on your way home.”

Satoru waves and then heads down the path he had come in on and leaves the town. He thinks about all Subaru and Emilia had said and for a moment considers maybe just giving up on this after all. However, he quickly dismisses the idea when thinks of his family. He promised he’d find them again and they’d all be together, so he can’t give up, no matter what. He shifts his thoughts instead into figuring out how he could possibly find Akemi-san now, but then from the corner of his eye, he catches movement. He spins around and scans his surroundings, sure he saw what he thinks he did. He starts to think he’s going crazy, but then he hears the flutter. He spins around again and finally catches sight of it…a little blue butterfly. It flies away and he takes after it. “Wait!” He follows it into the woods, doing his best to keep his eyes on it. He can’t let it get away again. “Stop!” He chases it, seemingly for endless minutes, until finally he comes to a clearing. The butterfly has disappeared, but he can feel he’s not alone. He turns and looks up to the trees; sitting on branch is a woman. Her long grey-black hair hangs down as she looks at him.

With intense violet eyes she stares at him. “I hear you are looking for me.” She jumps down and cocks a gun. Pointing it at Satoru she says, “You found me, congrats, but now you must die.”


	5. The Witch Killer

Satoru stares down the barrel of her gun, nervous that she’ll actually shoot him, but also excited that he found her. He tries to talk his way out of the dicey situation. “Uh, I don’t think there’s any need for that, I mean no harm and I have no bad intentions. It’s just, I heard that you were the best woman to go to for help with my problem and to learn more about the witch.”

She looks surprised. “What do you want to know about the witch? If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stop looking for her and go home. If you promise to do that, I’ll let you live.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. I need to find my family and you’re the only lead I have to do so.”

“Are you serious? Do you want to die? If so, I’ll really blow your brains out right now!”

“Even still, I cannot. I’d rather die having tried my hardest than to go home and give up.”

Homura looks at him warily, surprised at his resolve. “You’re willing to go that far for them?”

“Of course. They are the most important people in the world to me and so I’ll never give up.”

She stares at him seriously for a minute, testing his resolve, which doesn’t waver. Realizing he was serious and would go to the ends of the earth for his family, she lowers her gun and it disintegrates seemingly into thin air. “I admire your persistence, but I’m not sure I can help.”

“Please, I really need your help. I believe the witch has something to do with revival and the blue butterfly, so if I can find her, perhaps I’ll find it and be able to go back and save my family.”

Homura looks genuinely surprised for the first time. “Revival? You’ve seen the butterfly?”

“Yes. It allowed me to go back many times until I successfully saved my childhood friend.”

She seems to whisper to herself and then she looks back at him. “It seems you’re a special case and may just be worth the time, but if I agree to help, just know that I won’t be held responsible for what happens next. To pursue the witch will require entering a dark world, one few have ever seen and even fewer have returned from. I can help you survive that world and fight off the lesser witches, but it’s up to you to liberate them. These lesser witches are corrupted souls and the only way to free them without sending them to hell is to liberate them from their corruption. If you can see the butterfly, then you’ve been chosen for this task. It will be your guide. Only by freeing the souls, can you destroy the witch forever, but it’ll likely require a sacrifice from you.”

“If destroying this witch will allow me to meet my family again, then I’ll do whatever it takes and I’ll gladly sacrifice anything. I just want to be together with Airi and Saori again.”

“Very well, I will help you then.” She holds out her hand. “My name is Homura Akemi.”

Satoru returns the gesture, his hand meeting hers. “Satoru Fujinuma. You can call me Satoru.”

“Nice to meet you. You may call me Homura as well. Anyway, we should be on our way now.”

“Wait, already?! I haven’t even prepared myself yet! I thought we’d get to know each other a bit more and talk about everything. There’s so many things I wanted to ask you.”

“You can ask me as we travel. I’d like to take care of this as soon as possible. The place we’re going is know as The Between. It’s a place where those who have become lost end up after tragic experiences. Some go there for a short period, but then find their way out on their own, but many get trapped there and cannot leave. If you are trapped there for too long, you will become corrupted from your grief and manifest as a lesser witch. This realm was created by The Witch, as she gets her strength from the despair and corruption of the lost souls. However, if she loses those souls, the realm will become unstable and she will be weakened. If you could get her to that state, I should be able to defeat her, but it won’t be easy. She’ll do anything she can to stop you from liberating those souls and from carrying on. Also, no one can face her without losing something in return. Knowing all of this, are you certain you still wish to carry on?”

“Yes, I’m sure. I’ve come too far to back out now. I will do my best until the end.”

“Very well, then let’s go.” She motions with her hand and there is a blue flash. A portal opens and her plain black leggings and white turtleneck disappear, and is replaces by black tights, and a white skirt-dress with purple accents. On each side, a gun holder appears, each containing a black revolver. “Leave your things behind, you won’t need them. You can get them later.”

“Uh, right!” Satoru was a bit in awe by what he can only assume was her transformation. He places his items on the ground, under the cover of a bush. “Is this your magical girl form?”

“Please don’t call it that. The days of magical girls are done, someone special to me made sure of that. I’m the only one who remains active, but not as a magical girl. I’m simply a free agent, keeping The Witches minions at bay and preventing evil from overtaking the world for them.” She has a look of nostalgia and a hint of sadness, which makes Satoru think of something.

“Could that person maybe be…Madoka? Is she the one you’re doing this for? Was she real?”

Satoru finds himself behind the barrel of her gun, her expression full of anger. “Don’t mention her name so casually! Of course she was real! If it hadn’t been for her, the world would be….” She stops abruptly and trails off. She retracts her gun and returns it to its holder. “Sorry, I lost myself there for a moment. She was real, she existed and she saved not just us magical girls, but the world as well. Thanks to her, the Witch had no choice but to retreat to her own realm and remain isolated there. However, her witch minions still break free from time to time and cause havoc in the world, so in Madoka’s stead, I hunt them down and kill them. She gave all of our friends the chance to live their lives like normal girls, at the sacrifice of not just her life, but her very existence. No one, not even them, remember her, but I do. The reason I can when the others can’t is because I’ve lived countless timelines, repeating things over and over again, all for the sake of her. I wanted to protect her, keep her from making the mistake I watched her make time and time again and it always lead to her gruesome death. To watch your loved one, die over and over again no matter what you do is the worst curse there is. I believe it’s my curse to bear, which is why I can remember, but even now, with her having saved the world, I still can’t be with her. She’s become akin to god, watching over the world in a plane I can’t reach, no matter how much I want to. It’s my greatest wish, to finally be able to move on from this world and join her up there, but it seems I can never be free until The Witch has been destroyed. For reasons I still cannot understand, she seems to hold me captive, our endless battle continuing on forever.”

“I’m sorry, that really is an unfortunate life. Is this why Subaru and his wife said you were closer to the witch than anyone? Is it because of this battle between you two? Why does he hate you?”

“They do not know of my circumstances with the Witch. It’s more likely that they thought this because of what happened back then in that world. I’m the one who killed their friends.”

Satoru is shocked, unable to believe what he just heard. “What? You killed them? Why?”

“It was the only way to end the loop. That world was a world created by The Witch. She created it as a personal hell to Subaru, who’d been trapped in The Between prior to that, though he never realized it. He’d lost his parents and little sister in an accident and found himself in the Between, living alone, but in his mind, his family were just away for work and traveling. He was pulled into that world and given his Return by Death power, in order to save Emilia, also trapped there.”

“So you’re saying both of them were trapped in The Between and so the Witch gave Subaru a chance to save her? Why would she do that though if she wanted to keep him there and make him suffer? Why would she give him a chance to save them both and escape?”

“It’s precisely because she wants him to suffer she did that. As I said, watching your loved ones die constantly no matter what you do is the worst kind of torture. She wanted to drive Subaru mad and she achieved that. However, she sees it as a game and so she wanted to make him suffer while offering him a way out, but only with the sacrifice that would bring him more suffering. Ultimately, she’d allow him to save Emilia, whom he was destined to be with, but he’d have to trade all the people he’d come to befriend and that world for her. If he tried to save even one of them, then he could never save Emilia. To save Emilia and escape, all his friends had to die in return. He understood that in the end, but wasn’t strong enough to accept it. He was torn because loved Emilia and wanted to save her, but he didn’t know how to let his friends go, especially Rem. Realizing he was bound to be trapped forever I decided to help him along and end his constant suffering. I killed them all and kept the Witch at bay so he could escape. I left him no choice. Either he left through the portal with Emilia and lived, or they would both die. He’d have no more returns. He spited me for what I did, but took the chance and escaped, allowing him to end up here. Though once he arrived, he began a foolish mission to find The Witch again and somehow save his friends. Just like you, he went looking for his special ability, wanting one more chance to save them. I didn’t want to see him waste the opportunity at life he’d been given again and so I threatened him. I said I’d kill Emilia and his family if he didn’t give up. It was effective, but it only deepened his hatred for me. I don’t mind if they hate me though. I just did what I felt was necessary for the greater good. I consider it mercy, even if they cannot. I’ve come to realize that the lost can never save themselves and will always make the same mistakes. Even when given a chance to change things, they won’t change and things will end up just as before. I know this for my own personal experiences and so that’s why I’ll save them from themselves, even if I have to be a villain in their eyes. It’s all I can do to try and finally get back to her.”

Satoru realizes that all of these terrible experiences were likely why Subaru had tried to deter him from pursuing his own quest. He knew from personal experience that dealing with the Witch or Homura will likely lead to suffering. He was trying to spare him that. He appreciates his efforts, but even knowing all of this, he will not back down. “I have to disagree Homura-san.”

“Huh? What exactly is it that you disagree on? That people can change and save themselves?”

“Yes, that’s exactly it. I believe people can change if given the opportunity, but you are right on one aspect. They cannot do it alone. However, simply doing the hard work for them isn’t really helping them, it’s just giving them an easy out and both of you will suffer for it. Rather than doing it for them, they should be guided into doing what’s right and come to realize on their own that things must change or that they cannot continue on in the same manner. You say that I’ll have to help liberate these lost souls that become lesser witches and I think I’ve just realized how I will have to do it. Clearly, Revival is something that gives the opportunity to return to the past and stop an event from happening or to save someone. If my butterfly will be my guide, then it must be for the same purpose as before, when I saved Kayo all those years ago. I’ll find these lost souls, return to their pasts and help save them from making the same mistakes or help them save those they love. I believe that just like back then, saving others, will lead me back to Airi.”

“You really are an optimistic guy aren’t you?” She chuckles. “Well, I suppose it’ll be interesting to watch you go about this. I look forward to you proving me wrong Satoru. Now, let’s go.” She finally steps through the portal and Satoru follows immediately behind. When they exit the portal they are standing in the forest, in fact, it’s the same forest they just came from. “Here we are.”

Satoru looks around and sees the familiar environment. “Are you playing with me? We’ve come right back to the same spot we just left from. Do you believe that I’m really an idiot?”

“No, we have indeed entered The Between, look again. See how the sky is darker? See how the trees are limp and brittle. See how the ground is cracked and the soil is dry? Can you see the grey hue of our surroundings? The Between is just as its name implies, between realities. There is only one world and we all live in it. However, there are many realities, better known as timelines that connect through here. You must pass through the Between to cross from one timeline to another or even to travel back in time as you’ve done many times. Every time you used Revival, you passed through this realm, but it happened too quickly for you to notice. Usually you cannot consciously travel within this realm unless you’ve got something tying you here. In your case, I would assume it’s your butterfly. It must be leading you here. Anyway, it’s dangerous, so we should probably get a move on and quickly-.” Before she can finish, there is a loud screech from the trees. “Damn! I suppose it’s too late now. Stand back!” She grabs her guns and just as she points it up, a monster like Satoru’s never seen, drops from the trees and attacks her violently.


	6. The Between

Homura narrowly escapes the monster’s attack, jumping to the side just in time to avoid its claws. She shoots at the monster as it passes by her side, but it’s too quick and avoids her shots. It hops back up into the trees for cover, allowing it to coordinate itself and at the same time, Homura takes the moment to prepare for its next strike. It hops around through the trees in the hope of throwing her off, but she easily keeps her sights on it. Realizing it couldn’t use the element of surprise anymore, it finally decides to strike with full force. With a second loud screech, it jumps down towards her, with claws ready to strike. She shoots her guns as it does and backs away at the same time. Soon, they are going toe to toe, flitting around on the ground and in the trees, like a well-coordinated dance routine. Satoru watches in awe at Homura as she fights, seeming to move so gracefully, despite the danger of the situation. He can see why those fanboys online had raved about her, calling her one of the best magical girls to live. Seeing her facing off almost effortlessly against this monster is quite an amazing sight to see.

Satoru is so engrossed in the fight; he doesn’t notice the presence coming up behind him. This monster, with a distorted, asymmetrical shape, approaches with an outstretched claw and swipes at his neck with an attack that surely would’ve knocked his head off, but in an instant, Homura is beside him and with her gun planted directly on its head, she pulls the trigger, causing the monster’s head to explode. “Woah!” Satoru falls to the side, shocked at the sudden occurrence.

Homura looks at him with a scowl. “Pay more attention to your surroundings or you’ll die!”

“I’m…I’m sorry! I didn’t even realize it was there! I’ll be more careful, but you should too.” Satoru points to the previous monster she’d been fighting, who is charging towards her.

“I’m aware, you don’t have to tell me.” She grips her guns with a frown. “It’s time to end this.” She charges the monster and just when it seems certain that they’re going to clash head on, she jumps up at the last moment and with a mid-air twist and flip, she ends up behind the monster and in one fluid motion, she places the gun against the back of its head and fires. With an extravagant explosion, the monster’s head is in pieces and its body follows closely behind, falling apart and to the ground. “There, it’s done. They really never learn. Let’s go now.”

She starts to walk away, not shaken in the slightest by what just happened, where Satoru is still trying to process it. “How can you be so calm? I get you’ve done it before, but those are scary!”

“Once you’ve seen them once, you’ve seen them all and they start to get boring. They’re only scary because your weak. Those were just the witches’ minions. If you thought those were scary, you’ll soil yourself if you see a lesser witch and even die when we see the witch herself.”

“Well I’m sorry I’m weak, but I don’t have magical powers and guns to fight with. This is the first time I’ve ever seen something scarier than a rabid dog, so cut me some slack would you?”

“Oh don’t get offended. I was simply stating a fact, not trying to burn you. Anyway, you don’t have to worry about facing these monsters, just leave that to me. All I want you to worry about is saving the lost souls here, so that we can weaken the witch enough for me to destroy her. Ok?”

“Right…I guess I’ll just do that then.” Satoru stands and walks closer to her. “So, where to?”

“I don’t know specifically, you tell me. Follow your butterfly or whatever, you said that always leads you where you need to go right?” She returns her guns to their holsters as she speaks.

“I don’t see it right now. I haven’t seen it since it lead me to you in the forest.”

She lets out a loud and audible sigh. “Seriously? You really are useless.” She fingers through her hair and then makes a decision. “Ok then, I suppose we should head to the main city and start there. Odds are, the people you need to save will be found there. Let’s head to the train.”

“The train? Won’t that take a long time? Can’t we just teleport there or something?”

“No, what do you think this is? I’m not a witch. I have the power to enter this realm freely, but once here, I have to traverse it just like any of the local inhabitants do. It may be between worlds, but it’s still its own world, with civilization and infrastructures such as trains and cars, I told you didn’t I, this is the place where lost souls reside after unresolved trauma, but to them, this is the same world as always. How do you think they can live here for years never realizing that they are trapped? Think of it like they have died and are stuck in limbo. The only difference is they have the opportunity to return to the land of the living if they are strong enough and so are only metaphorically dead. However, if they reside here too long, eventually they will lose that chance and really will die, forced to remain here forever and become the lesser witches or minions that you see. The people you have to save, are likely very close to this point, so we must hurry.”

Satoru never realized just how serious this all really was, but he wants to save them. “Ok, I understand. Please lead the way and I’ll give it my all to save anyone I can.” He follows her.

After walking into the center of the town, they arrive at a train station. It’s a small, rustic station as you’d expect to find in a town such as that and the trains run on a limited schedule. However, they are in luck, as the next train to the main city will arrive in ten minutes, the last one of the day. They sit on the platform silently and once the train arrives, they board it, finding a seat in the last car, in order to avoid engaging with others, not that there were many people in the first place. Satoru sits across from her and they look out the window quietly, as the train starts to move. Satoru glances at her now and then, looking for an opening to speak, but she doesn’t look his way even once. Feeling the awkwardness of the silence, he finally tries to start a conversation. “So…is it a long ride into the city?” He sits patiently, waiting for a response.

“It’ll be about an hour.” She’s to the point and says nothing to carry the conversation on.

“Right….” Satoru can’t help but think that she’s a difficult person to deal with. He could tell she’s probably been a lone wolf for quite a while and doesn’t seem to have many friends, but he wishes she’d be a little more receptive to socialization. He decides he’ll try again. “So, you said you’ve been fighting against the witch for a long time now, how’d you get started in this?”

She’s quiet and doesn’t respond right away, making Satoru think it was a lost cause, but then she finally speaks. “It all started when an evil little runt named Kubey showed up and recruited me, saying he’d grant any wish I wanted if I helped him fight the monsters known as the lesser witches. I was a loner and had no friends and I can’t say my life was very interesting, so I figured why not? I’d fight against the monsters and if I died then I died. If I happened to survive…well, then maybe I could really have my one and only wish granted. I was skeptical at first to be honest, but I figured I had nothing to lose, so I just went with it. I found it all pretty easy to get used to actually, but then Kubey did the worst thing he could have…he recruited the one person I never wanted to be involved. He somehow knew that they meant more than anything to me and that they were the motivation behind why I even started doing that in the first place. He recruited them and they agreed with no reservations. I had planned to talk them out of it, but after joining the cause, they noticed me for the first time. I’d always admired them and had wanted to get closer to them, but didn’t have the courage or confidence to do so. However, this brought us together and for the first time I was able to get closer to them. We were a two-person team and we were powerful. We fought those witches together and it became something special between us. We became special to each other and we thought it’d last forever, but we were wrong.”

Satoru gulps, having a bad feeling about what happened next. “What happened after that?”

Although he expected her to get emotional, she remains very calm and gives nothing away as she says very matter of factly, “Oh, they died. They died and then SHE showed up, killing me too.”

“By she…do you mean the witch?” Satoru doesn’t really need to ask, but he does anyway.

“Of course. Once my partner died, she suddenly showed up took over this realm, where we’d always been fighting, and killed me too. I didn’t really care at that point, but the problem was that she didn’t just kill me. No, she chose to curse me instead and so once I died, I woke up back in the past, before we’d started it all. I was still a loner and my partner had nothing to do with me. I’d gone back in time, but things weren’t exactly the same because now, rather than the witches simply being the corrupted souls of magical girls before me, they were the pawn of the witch and she took over the whole show, even having Kubey follow her will. I remembered everything that had happened, but my partner did not. I decided it might have been for the best and made it my mission to stop her and Kubey, who’d started to approach my partner again in the hope of recruiting her. I feared things would happen just as before and so I joined up again, in an attempt to stop it from coming to the same end. I tried my best to keep them from joining and from suffering the same fate, but I couldn’t stop it and once again, they died and once again, I was sent back to the past. As I said, the witch didn’t just kill me, she cursed me, forcing me to repeat the same events over and over again, powerless to stop them no matter what I did.”

“Wow, that sounds terrible. Actually, that sounds a lot like what I experienced with Revival and what Natsuki-san seemed have gone through as well. It seems the witch likes to do that.”

“Well yes, it’s her curse after all, so it would be the same more or less. It’ll continue on endlessly until you figure out the loophole. In your case, successfully saving Kayo ended it, though perhaps there was more to it than simply that considering you are here now, but regardless, there’s always a way to break the chain, but you must find it. In Subaru’s case, he had to let go of the other people of that world and accept their deaths to finally be free of it. In my case, I was able to break the loop because my partner made the ultimate sacrifice for me and the others who’d joined us along the way.” Satoru looks at her, having finally understood and she confirms. “Yes, my partner, my most precious person, Madoka, she saved us all and freed me from that hell. We could finally leave that cursed world, but I couldn’t accept it, so I stayed to fight on.”

“So ever since then you’ve been locked in this endless battle with the witch? Is she so strong that even you cannot defeat her, or is it that you two have some other connection you can’t break?”

“What are you even saying? I’m not connected to that woman in anyway other than being cursed by her. It’s her fault that I had to lose Madoka and so I simply can’t rest until I’ve stopped her. As I’ve already said, the only reason I can’t is because her tether to the lost souls is too strong. Once they are free, she’ll lose her power and that’s when I can strike. Then I can finally rest in peace and be with Madoka again. That’s the only thing that I’m still going for. The only thing.”

Satoru can tell just how much Madoka must have meant to her. “You loved her didn’t you?”

“Did you love your wife? How about your daughter?” She asks this in a serious tone.

“Of course! I love them both, even in this moment. I love them, not loved. More than anything.”

“Well then, why’d you ask me such a stupid question? Of course I loved her, but as with you, I haven’t stopped loving her. I love her now and I always will, more than anything. I will be with her again, no matter what I have to do, no matter how long it takes. I swear on my life.”

It gets silent again, both reflecting on their loves, but then Satoru asks something he’s been wondering about. “So, are you not in contact anymore with the other girls you worked with?”

“After Madoka saved us, they didn’t remember her at all and even our time as magical girls were nothing more than a dream to them. They moved on with their lives together, but I couldn’t forget, so we naturally drifted apart. Our other member, well she wasn’t lucky enough to survive that long. I haven’t seen anyone else in years. I don’t talk to anyone either. In fact, I think you were the first person I talked to in about ten years. I’ve kept to myself all this time, never interacting with other people. Honestly, I rarely leave this realm, but you were lucky enough to catch me on a rare day where I’d entered reality. I’ve grown accustomed to being alone.”

“You haven’t spoken to another living person in like ten years?! That’s so sad Homura-san!”

“Are you one to talk? Who were you talking to during your time in isolation?”

“Well I….” He realizes she kind of has him there. He never really talked to anyone other than his mother and Kayo when she happened to stop by, but it was always very brief and lifeless.”

“Yea, that’s what I thought. Worry about yourself before you judge me. I’m just fine thanks.”

It gets quiet once again and this time it stays quiet, neither saying anything more until they’ve arrived to the city. They get off the train and Satoru sees a city that is much more active than the town they’d been in previously. It’s not like his city, but for a realm between worlds, it’s still fairly active with people going about their days as though their lives are normal. They look like normal people, living normal existences, except they actually aren’t. They have no idea that they are living in a fake world, trapped by a trauma they may not even remember having. Each and every person here is living that type of life and it seems it’s up to Satoru to help them overcome them. He looks around for his butterfly, hoping that it’ll lead him to the appropriate targets, but sees nothing. He realizes that he may just have to free everyone here and he can’t imagine how long that may take, but if it’s what he has to do, he will if it’ll get him back to Airi and Saori.”

“So I’m guessing by that clueless expression on your face, you still don’t see your butterfly?”

“No, unfortunately I don’t. It looks like I’m going to have to do this the hard way.”

“Well isn’t that great.” The sarcasm is heavy in her voice. “Well whatever, not like I’ve got anything else to do anyway. We should get a move on then. As you can see, there’s a lot of people here. I suspect if we send them off one by one, at some point the witch will come.”

Satoru nods. “Right, I guess we should get started then, though I’m not exactly sure what to do.” Just as he says this, he swings his arm and his hand makes contact with someone else’s. “Oh I’m so….” Before he can finish his sentence, he sees snapshots of various images in his head, as though he watching a movie on hyper speed. Within seconds it’s over and when his vision returns to normal, a man is looking at him strangely and Satoru realizes that this man was the very same person he saw in the visions he just had. The man snatches his hand away and gives Satoru a dirty look before walking away. He calls out an apology. “I’m sorry!” He feels embarrassed and looks up, but as he does, he catches sight of his butterfly. “Ah, there it is!” He follows its path and sees its following behind the man. Satoru follows its path and notices it flutters around the man’s head. “Could it be I’m supposed to….” He touches the man’s shoulder and this time rather than a vision, he feels as though he’s been sucked into a vortex. When he comes to, he’s in another city and sees the same man, his hand still on his shoulder. He frowns and snatches himself away. “Oh, I’m sorry Sir, but are you-.”

The orange haired man says, “I’m Yuzuru Otanashi, who’re you and why are you touching me?”


	7. His Angel, Her Beat

Satoru bows down in embarrassment. “I’m very sorry Otanashi-san, I just….” Satoru stops short, uncertain how to continue and explain just what he’s doing. How does he explain that he’s here to help him to avoid making the same mistakes and escape from that world? He can’t, he’d surely think he was insane. Especially since his trauma hasn’t happened yet. It’d probably be best to play it cool and befriend him. That way he can keep watch on him and guide him when he’s in danger of making the same mistake. Now the question is, how can he recover from this embarrassing situation? Satoru stands erect and thinks up an explanation on the fly. “I’m very sorry about that, I thought you might have been someone I know, but I was mistaken.”

The young man looks suspicious for a moment, but then relaxes. “I see. Well, that happens sometimes. Sorry I couldn’t be the one you were looking for. Have a good day.”

He starts walking away, but Satoru calls after him. “Wait, please!” Satoru runs behind him. “Let me make it up to you somehow. Do you like coffee?” The young man turns back around to face Satoru and now he can get a good look at him. His orange hair that hangs by his ears shines in the sunlight and contrasts against his peach skin. He wears a cargo style outfit and has a strap across him, where the connected satchel bag hands at his side. He looks like he could be a college student or a young man just starting out in the adult world. He has gentle brown eyes.

“It’s ok, it’s really not that big of a deal. I just got out of orientation and was headed home.”

“Oh, so you’re a student then? I had a feeling you might be. Please, I insist, for just a bit.”

He looks unsure, but eventually decides a simple cup of coffee wouldn’t hurt and accepts. “Ok, I suppose I have time for a cup, but if it’s ok with you, may I pick the place?”

“Of course, I’d be happy if you did. To be honest, I’m new to this city, so I was going to ask you to do so anyway. Please lead the way. Oh, my name is Satoru Fujinuma by the way.”

“Nice to meet you Fujinuma-san, welcome to the city. I hope you’ll find it enjoyable.”

“Thank you. Please Call me Satoru, no need for formality.”

“Right. Well, then please call me Yuzuru as well. Please follow me.” Yuzuru begins walking and Satoru follows closely behind. “So, what brings you to the city? Work or are you visiting?”

“I’m actually just here for the day I think. I was looking for someone, but I’m afraid I may have missed them. That’s why I mistook you for them. So now, I’m just taking the chance to explore the city before I head back home. What about you, what are you attending university for?”

“I’m actually about to start at the local medical university. It wasn’t a calling I ever thought I’d end up pursuing, but for some reason I’ve felt inclined towards it. I feel like by becoming a doctor I can save lives. It may sound weird, but I often have this dream. I dream that a terrible accident happened and I died, but because I became an organ donor, someone else got to live. They even found me in the afterlife just to thank me for giving them a chance to live a while longer. But then they had to move on from there and I was left alone for a while, until finally I moved on too. I always wake up after that, so I have no idea how that dream ends. But what I remember most is her face. It’s as though it’s burned in my brain and somehow I can’t help but feel that although I may have saved her, she really saved me and gave my life meaning. I consider her my guardian angel and it’s because of her that I feel compelled to pursue this dream, so that I can save more people just like her, but on the other side of the table. Crazy right?”

As they enter a café and take a seat, Satoru reflects on what he just heard and smiles to himself. To Yuzuru, everything he just said was just a long dream, but Satoru knows the truth from the vision he had when their hands first met in The Between. Everything he said really did happen, it’s just that it happened in his previous life. That Yuzuru has already passed, but the new Yuzuru, reborn into this timeline still retains some of the old memories. This angel he speaks of was also very real and based on the vison, has also been reborn in this timeline, but the trauma that Yuzuru is going to face, that will leave him trapped in The Between, hasn’t happened yet. However, according to what Satoru can remember, in just an hour, Yuzuru will leave this café and pass by a girl. This girl will trigger something in him and make him turn back to her and he’ll even reach out his hand to touch her, but in the end he’ll retract his hand and continue on his way, choosing not to believe in such a foolish notion as angels. By turning away from this opportunity, he will become filled with regret, he’ll turn away from his dream and wallow in his own self-pity, condemning him to spend his remaining days in The Between. Not reaching out to her and grabbing hold was his mistake and it’s one that Satoru must keep him from making again. So he looks at Yuzuru and with a wider smile says, “not at all. In fact, I think it’s a beautiful dream. I have an angel of my own I long to see, so don’t think it’s strange at all.”

“Thanks for the support, but I’m pretty sure it’s just a silly dream. My goal is real though.”

“Well that’s a good thing. Uh, what type of coffee would you like, I’ll go order it now.”

“Oh, just a simple coffee with milk and sugar is fine, thank you.” Satoru nods and leaves.

As Satoru stands in line, he thinks about the best angle to take on this. He has to get Yuzuru to believe in his dream and be willing to reach for it, but he can’t outright tell him he’s going to meet his angel and needs to talk to her. It has to be his own choice. There’s only one way he can think to get him there, but it’s going to have to get personal. He orders two coffees and returns to the table. “I brought some extra sugar since I wasn’t sure if it’d be enough. Here you are.”

“Thank you, I appreciate this.” They sit silently for a moment and drink the coffee.

“Wow, this is really good!” Satoru is surprised at how rich and savory it is.

“Yea, this is the best café in the city in my opinion. If I ever met my angel, I’d bring her here.”

“You say that as though you don’t believe you will. Maybe she really will appear before you.”

“No, I’m not so much of a dreamer that I’d believe in something so foolish. Angels aren’t real.”

“Perhaps Angels in the sense that we’re used to seeing them, where they have wings and can fly are not, but I believe we all have an angel out there somewhere waiting to find us.”

“You say that like you’ve really met one. Have you met your angel Satoru?”

“I have actually. Despite all odds, even when I thought it really may have just been a dream, she appeared in front of me, beautiful as ever. I almost gave up hope. I almost started to think I was foolish for believing such a thing, but then she found me and then it wasn’t just a foolish dream.”

“What did you do after? Did you approach her? Did she even know who you were?”

“Well she actually approached me first, though I was just a stranger to her. She knew nothing about me, but I knew everything about her. She was just the same as I always saw her.”

“Wasn’t it scary though? You dreamed about her for so long and then suddenly there she was in front of you. So close, yet she still feels so far? Even worse, you feel as though you know her so well, but she doesn’t know you. It’d be like starting over, and all those old memories you always dreamed of would probably disappear. That’s too scary, painful, to risk such precious things.”

“You’re right, it’s scary and maybe even a bit painful. You have all these precious moments in your head and even if they are just fantasy, they are still important and of course you don’t want to lose them. In my case, I felt as though I’d already formed a special bond with my angel in another life, that’s how real those memories were for me and it hurt me when I met her again and she didn’t remember them. However, that didn’t stop me from still taking her hand because even if she never got to experience those memories, I did and so I would remember them for the both of us. I’d always have those memories, but now, in this new lifetime, I would start over and together, we would form new memories that were even better than before. For me, that seems much more enjoyable because now, I have two times the precious memories. That’s what it’s all about. So you can’t run away from the future, just so you don’t lose the past. The past is always going to be behind you, but if you keep looking back rather than move forward, you’ll never break free from your internal cage. You have a choice on what happens next, so follow your heart, wherever it may lead you, no matter how crazy or scary it may seem. Trust me on that.” Yuzuru looks like he’s deep in thought and Satoru can tell he’s really reflecting on his words. He’s said what he could, now he just has to have faith that he’ll follow through. Homura doesn’t believe people can change and that they will always choose the same path no matter how many times they have the chance to change it, but Satoru doesn’t believe that, because he’s living proof that futures can be changed. Kayo’s very life is proof of that. So he’ll always believe.

“You are really convincing Satoru, you actually made me think for a moment that all this was real and not just one huge hypothetical discussion. I mean, Angels don’t exist and my dream is nothing more than that. Those memories are just fragments of that dream. Anyway, I appreciate you taking the time to talk with me, but now I should get going. I hope you’ll find who you’re looking for though.” Yuzuru stands and holds out his hand to Satoru. “Goodbye then.”

Satoru stands and offers his hand in return and they shake. “I hope I was able to help you.”

“Yea, of course.” They release their hands and Yuzuru begins walking towards the door, but just before pushing it open he turn back to Satoru. “Oh, if you don’t mind me asking, what happened between you and your angel? Did everything work out ok?”

“Yes, things went very well actually. Once I met her again, I did the only logical thing to do, I married her. We settled down together and had a beautiful little girl. It was the best time of my life, but if I hadn’t taken her hand back then, I would’ve missed out. Don’t make that mistake.”

Yuzuru smiles slightly. “Have a great day Satoru and thanks again.” He walks out the door.

Satoru waves and waits for him to make his way down the street, keeping eye contact on him through the windows. He finally exits the café and follows his direction, tailing him. He does his best to act casual and discreet and constantly looks at his watch. The clock on the building in his vision showed 4 PM, it’s now 3:54 PM. He trails him all the way to a bookstore, which Yuzuru enters. Satoru creeps past the entrance to stand on the other, casually leaning against the wall as he discretely looks into the window. He looks around the surroundings and his eyes come to rest on a clock hanging from the wall at the side. He recognizes it instantly; this is the spot. Just as realizes this, he hears someone humming. He looks to his side and sees a girl, just a bit further down the sidewalk, also leaning against the wall. She’s wearing a white and blue dress and a matching white hat, with her white hair that sticks out from beneath it. She’s got earphones in her ears and holding her music player, she’s humming a song that Satoru is sure he heard a snippet of in his vision. “Could that be…?” Satoru casually moves closer, so that he’s beside her, but not close enough to scare her off. He turns to her. “Wow, that’s a beautiful song.”

The girl turns to look at him, her golden eyes shining bright. “Oh, thank you. I really love it. I heard it in a dream one day and was determined to find it and so I’ve come to this music store everyday listening to something new, in the hopes I’d come across it. I finally did today and so now I’ve just been standing here listening to it. Somehow, I feel like today is going to be an important day, finding this song at last proves that. Though I’ve been waiting here for almost an hour now, so it may be time to go on home.” She looks as though she’s about to leave.

“Wait!” She stops. “Don’t leave yet. You’ve waited this long, why not wait a bit longer. It’s not even quite four yet. It may be just a minute away, but sometimes your life can change drastically even in just one minute. I think you’re right about it being an important day, so why not see it through? You just might meet the man of your dreams.” She looks at him and starts to laugh.

“The man in my dreams loves this song, in fact I think it’s because of him I even got to discover it. Sadly, he’s just in my dreams, though I feel as though I owe him my life. Weird right?”

“I find dreams to be anything but weird, so don’t doubt them. Let me tell you a little secret. If you ever find yourself meeting that man in your dream, don’t let him get away, no matter how crazy it seems. Crazier things have happened, trust me. Anyway, good luck to you.” He waves.

“Uh…right….” She watches as he quickly walks away, after saying such a strange thing. However, she feels that it won’t hurt to wait just another minute, as she’s feeling optimistic. She goes back to humming her song.

Satoru looks at the clock, it’s now 4 PM on the mark. He looks at the bookstore entrance from across the street and like clockwork, Yuzuru is coming out. He watches in anticipation as he starts walking down the sidewalk, and he approaches the girl, who is still against the wall.

As Yuzuru walks, he passes a girl leaning against the wall. He pays her no mind, only focusing on getting home, but then he hears her humming a song and as soon as its melody hits his ears, he freezes. “This song….” He turns around slowly, just as the girl has decided to give in for the day and head home herself. He follows behind her quickly, and once he’s at the appropriate proximity, he reaches out his hand for her shoulder. However, he stops suddenly and shakes his head. He retracts his hand and looks down with a hopeless smile. “What are you thinking idiot?”

Satoru watches as he turns back around and starts to continue on his way, about to make the same mistake again. “No! Don’t run away you fool!” He considers running over there and pushing him towards her, but that would probably just make things worse. Just when he thinks he’s failed, he notices that Yuzuru has stopped once again.

Yuzuru stands frozen as the words of the random stranger he just met, Satoru’s words swirl in his head. Is he doing just what he warned him not to do? Is he running away? He’s scared, no, he’s terrified, but even still, can he really just let this chance slip away? What if she really could be her? Even if it’s just a dream, even if she will turn her back and run away, can he really just walk away without saying he at least tried? He feels somehow that if he doesn’t face this here and now, he’s going to suffer a far greater turmoil than the fear he’s feeling now. He clenches his fists, grits his teeth and having made up his mind, he turns back around. He’s lost sight of her now though and he laughs, thinking he was a fool who missed his chance. However, when he looks back up after hanging his head, he’s surprised to see a familiar face looking back at him.

“Are you ok? You seemed to be in pain. It felt as like your heart was beating through my chest.”

Yuzuru stares at the girl in front of him and suddenly, tears are streaming down his face. He quickly wipes them, puts on a smile and replies, “no, I’m not in pain at all. I just found myself blinded by an angel.” She smiles bashfully, he offers his hand and the rest is history.

Satoru watches as they laugh and smile together and he breathes a sigh of relief, knowing that things should be alright. In this very moment, the world becomes distorted and he finds himself once again traveling through a vortex. He finds himself back in the familiar surroundings of The Between. He looks around as he reorients himself and finally his gaze comes to rest on Yuzuru once more. However, this time he’s smiling and surrounded by a glow. “Yuzuru, you….”

“Thank you Satoru, for everything. Thanks to you, I can be with Kanade again. Please take this, I think it’ll help you on your journey.” He offers Satoru a light orb. “Best of luck to you.” He waves and then he is gone, his soul returning to the real world again at last.

The orb floats from his hands and to Homura, who’d been standing at the side observing. It enters her chest and disappears, surprising Satoru. “The orb, it went inside of you?”

“It’s likely that the orb holds the key in defeating the witch. I’m sure it’s fragments of her soul. It seems that is what we’re looking for in the ones you help. The selected lost souls will likely hold a piece of her soul and so by saving them, they will relinquish it. To defeat her, she must have her soul returned by me, as it’s the only way to make her mortal. Only once she’s mortal again, I can destroy her. So you must keep saving these souls, until she is complete.”

“Well, then we shouldn’t waste anymore time. Oh and now do you see? People can change.”

“This was an easy case, I’m sure they won’t all be that easy. Anyway, just keep it up ok?” He nods and then looks around for the butterfly, but doesn’t see it. So like before, he starts to walk around and looks for anyone who may seem like they are lost. Then he hears a yell.

“Don’t touch that! Get away! All of you get away!” They turn to see a man yelling at a group of kids who are running out of a rundown apartment laughing. He looks older, but he also seems like he’s still young. His black hair is messy, his glasses are twisted and cracked and he’s got blue eyes that seemed to have lost their shine. He falls to the ground holding something against his chest as he starts to sob. He whimpers and says, “Kaori, I’m sorry, I’m sorry I let them touch you. I’ll protect you. I’ll never let you go again. I promise.” He speaks tenderly to it like it’s a lover and moving closer, Satoru can see it’s a rusty, old violin he’s holding, the strings broken. Satoru looks at this man, clearly broken and a shell of the man he used to be and he knows, this is his next target. As if to confirm, his butterfly flutters around him. The vision it reveals, sends Satoru down on his knees and tears down his cheeks as he once again, is sucked in the vortex.


	8. The Biggest Lie She Never Said

Satoru arrives to the past, appearing at a playground, the cherry blossoms in full bloom falling to the ground. It’s sunny, likely mid-afternoon and children’s laughter can be heard. Satoru is still adjusting from the travel and from the terrible vision he saw. He’s not sure he’s ever seen something quite that heartbreaking…outside the death of his family.

“Kousei!” Satoru hears a loud shout and turns to the direction he heard it to see a young girl, with almond hair and auburn eyes, dressed in a school uniform running towards someone. She jumps up and with a kick, knocks them over, snapping them out of the daze they seemed to be in. “Are you zoning out again? How could you just leave without saying anything, I was waiting.”

The boy stands, rubbing his side as he does, smiling and laughing, but Satoru can immediately tell it’s just a cover. He can see the truth of the pain behind his dull, blue eyes. Adjusting his glasses and moving a strand of his black hair from his forehead, he says, “sorry Tsubaki.”

“You should be! I told you before remember? I’m not going to leave you alone. I’m going to keep you straight! Got that?” He nods. “Good, let’s head back now then. Watari’s waiting.”

She grabs his arm and leads him along and he follows behind obediently. It’s easy to see that she’s very overbearing, but he also seems to be the type that isn’t very strong on his own and so needs the push. It’s also pretty clear that she’s trying to keep his spirits up in her own way. He recognizes them both from the vision he had. He saw their future and sadly it was not as bright as either may have hoped and recalling the events of that vision, if he’s correct, he knows where the turning point began. He should have arrived to the point in time where Kousei is going to be faced with a decision that will literally make or break his life and it’s up to Satoru to help him make the right choice. Though sadly, that will not bring her back…his Kaori.

Satoru knows what he must do, but he decides he needs to follow along for a bit and figure out the best approach. Discretely he tails them, but remains at a distance far enough that they will not be alarmed. They soon meet with a third person, a boy, with dark blond hair, orange eyes and a large ego. “Oh, there you guys are! I was waiting forever. I thought you may have left me.”

Tsubaki kicks him. “Shut it Watari, we should’ve left you behind. Anyway, we’re here now, so let’s get going. I’ve decided I’m making hot pot tonight for you Kousei. Not you Watari.”

“Eh! How mean Tsubaki! Kousei, you’ll share some with me right?” He has a playful tone.

Kousei laughs along and smiles, continuing to mask his pain. “Of course, as much as you want.”

“Alright! That’s why you’re the best Kousei!” They laugh some more and have fun together.

“Oh yea Kousei, the summer music competition will be soon right? Have you signed up?”

The change in tension of his shoulders can easily be seen, but he masks it well. “The music competition? Oh right, I’d almost forgotten…I think I’ll pass this time. I’m not ready for it.”

“Sure you are! We all saw your last performance in the Spring, it was the best and you won!”

“Yes, well that was all thanks to….” He freezes up for a moment. “Anyway, I’m not ready.”

“Don’t be an idiot Kousei, of course you are! You can’t give up just because of what happened. You know better than anyone that if Kaori were here she’d force you to sign up, she’d want you to. So even if you don’t do it for yourself, do it for her. She wouldn’t want you to just-.”

“What do you know!” His yell cuts her off. “You speak as though you knew her. You knew nothing about her! If she were here, I wouldn’t need her to push me to sign up. If she were here, I’d happily be signing up with her and we’d perform together, just like before. You have no idea how much I wish she could be here to call me an idiot and smack me and pester me into doing whatever she wanted. I’d give anything to have that again! But she’s not here. She’s not here and she never will be again, so don’t speak like you know what she’d want for me. Got it!?” He clenches his fists and then runs off as fast as he can.

“Kousei?” Tsubaki starts to run after him, but Watari grabs her hand. “Hey. What are you-.”

“Don’t. He needs time Tsubaki. It’s only been three months since she’s been gone. He needs time to grieve and accept her death. I get what you’re trying to do, but it’s too much for him.”

She snatches her hand away. “You think I like pushing him like that? You think I enjoy being so forceful on him knowing he’s suffering? I’m not that heartless Watari. I just…I don’t want to see him moping around and depressed anymore. It’s just the same as when his mother died, he was lifeless after that and stopped playing. I couldn’t break him out of that, no matter what I did. But then Kaori showed up a lit fire under him and he became himself again, no…even better. She did that, not me and now she’s gone. So now I have to do my best too, in her place, for him….”

Watari looks at her empathetically. “I know Tsubaki, I really do, but maybe that’s the problem.”

“Huh? What are you talking about? I don’t understand?” Watari chuckles and shakes his head.

“Nevermind. I’m going to go on ahead from here. Take care getting home Tsubaki.” He leaves.

“What are you talking about? You idiot….” She looks down and tries to stifle her tears, but fails.

Satoru decides to take this as an opening and approach her. “Uh, excuse me…are you ok?”

She’s startled, but quickly realizes there’s no threat. She momentarily stares at the man, for just a moment, he reminded her of Kousei, though looking closer now, he’s clearly too old. She wipes her eyes. “Yea, I’m fine. Please don’t worry about me. I should go, thanks though.”

She starts to walk away, but Satoru attempts to stop her by offering her support. “Uh wait!” She looks back. “I know you don’t know me and it may be strange, but I couldn’t help but over hear some of your conversation with your friends and I thought that maybe you lend you an ear and offer some support. I have no bad intentions; I just feel I may be able to help you.”

She seems a bit wary, as she should be, but she also can somehow feel that he means no harm and she can’t deny that she is feeling a bit unsure of the proper way to handle this situation. “Well, maybe I could speak for a few moments, but if you do anything shady, I’m out.”

“Of course, I completely understand. Shall we sit.” He motions to the bench at the side. They walk over to it, but before sitting down, he introduces himself. “Forgive me for not doing it sooner, but my name is Satoru Fujinuma. I’m visiting this town for a bit and happened to over hear your conversation. I didn’t intend to eavesdrop or anything.”

They shake and then sit down on the bench. “It’s ok, it’s kind of hard not to have overheard that big commotion. My name is Tsubaki, it’s nice to meet you Fujinuma-san.”

“Please call me Satoru and the pleasure is mine Tsubaki-san. Can you tell me what’s happened?”

She’s silent for a moment, seeming to reflect on it all herself, but then she finally speaks. “Well, you see, there was this girl named Kaori. She was a beautiful girl who almost seemed to come out of nowhere, though she had actually always been there, a fellow student in our school. None of us had ever noticed her really because she was quiet and kept to herself, but then one day she approached me and asked me to introduce her to Watari, who she claimed to like.”

“But that was a lie wasn’t it?” Satoru doesn’t want to blow his cover, but he also tries to guide the conversation along so they can get to the main point.

“Yes, that’s right. How embarrassing is that, a stranger could pick out the lie faster than we could in the many months we knew her? We never knew, not until the very end, but then it all made sense and both Watari and I felt like idiots. However, we were also happy, happy that we could see the Kousei we used to know and it was only thanks to her that we could see that. They were perfect for each other thinking back on it now, between their personalities and their shared interests in music. They would’ve been quite the duo, probably the very best and would’ve had such a wonderful life together. So perfect….” She looks as though she’ll cry again.

Satoru can read all her emotions through her face, though she tries to contain them. “You love him don’t you? You’ve always loved him, but didn’t have the courage to tell him. Then she showed up out of nowhere and stole his affections away, only to crush him and leave you to pick up the pieces. Now you can’t tell him, because that would only hurt him more and yourself.”

Her tears break through and start to fall down harder. “What are you, a mind reader or something?” She laughs through her tears. “You’ve seen right through me without trying.”

“No, I’m afraid I can’t read minds, but I am good at reading people who hide their true feelings, because I’m the pro. I’d been living behind a mask for the last four years of my life.”

“The worst part is that I can’t even hate her. I loved her as much as he and Watari did. We all loved her and she became our precious friend. The entire time, she knew her days were limited, yet she laughed and played with us like we would have forever. She never let it get her down. She was literally a ray of sunshine on all our lives, and did her best to avoid stepping on any toes in the process, which is why she never told him the truth until it was already too late. She was so selfless, acknowledging all our feelings, even mine. She too knew how I felt about him and did her best to avoid messing with that. The problem was it happened on its own, without her even trying. That’s why I’ve come to realize that I was never going to win as long as she was around. That’s why for just a moment, a terrible, sick moment, once she was gone, I felt…relieved. I’m such a terrible person. I don’t deserve someone as good as Kousei, but because I felt it was what Kaori wished and made a sacrifice for, I decided that I would stay by his side, even if I knew that I’d never win his heart. I knew she’d taken his heart with her, leaving me with no chance at all.”

“So basically, you decided to take on the burden of keeping him together and moving forward in her stead, as a way to allow her legacy to live on and to ease the guilt you were feeling for feeling that way once she died. You’ve resolved to keep your feelings inside and just be there in the way he could accept you, as his friend who gives him tough love. However, that stance is too much for him to handle in his fragile state and that’s why he exploded from your pushing.”

“Yea, that’s about the size of it. I thought this was my cross to bear, but I can’t even do this.”

“Then it’s just as Watari had said, that may be the problem. You’re trying too hard to be Kaori’s replacement for Kousei’s sake, but that’s not what he needs. He doesn’t want a replacement, he wants her. But of course, you can’t be her, so why are you attempting to do so? You should do what you actually can do. You should be his friend. The friend who’s always been there for him and who loves him in her own way. You should be you. Just be Tsubaki and no one else.”

Tsubaki looks at him in awe, as though he just told her the most philosophical thing ever. “I should just be me? Is that really ok? Is it ok for me to still want to be with him? Even though I know he loves someone else? Even when I feel terrible for being glad she’s gone?”

“You’re only human and jealousy is a human trait. What makes you a good person is accepting that you have it, but not letting it consume you. I’m sure that you’d never wish death on anyone and I’m sure you’re hurting from her loss too, but that doesn’t mean you’re not going to find a sense of happiness in knowing that you may just have a chance again. You’re probably thinking that if you stay close enough to him and support him, then eventually he’ll turn to you. He’ll finally realize that you’re always there and settle. It’s a reasonable thought, but I have to tell you Tsubaki, it’s not going to lead to true happiness for either of you. You can’t help your feelings, but I think you can see that at least as of now, he holds no feelings of love for you, not like he did for Kaori. Rather than pushing it, you should support him simply because you’re his friend and want him to get better and find light somehow again, even if it’s not you who gives it to him. You need to accept that he’s never going to be more than your friend and that one day he may find someone else to heal his heart. When that day comes, you have to be ready and willing to accept that. That’s what it means to be truly selfless. If you’re aiming to be like Kaori and you idolize her, well that is the only way you will reach that level. You have to be willing to make a sacrifice of your own. You know that the competition is something he needs to do, so help him. Get him to do it as his friend and then allow him to spread his wings and find his song again.”

Finally cracking under the pressure and succumbing to her feelings, Tsubaki lets her tears fall freely and sobs. She cries for the pain of knowing that everything this stranger has said is true. She cries for the guilt that she’s harbored all this time about Kaori’s death. She cries for having the foolish hope that Kousei would come to love her, when she knew he did not and never would. That, above all was the worst of it, the biggest lie she never said, because saying it would make her realize just how much of a lie it really was. “I really am the worst aren’t I?”

Satoru places his hand on her shoulder in comfort. “You’re simply human, nothing more.” Satoru sits silently in that position, as she continues to cry for a while longer. He can’t help but think back on his own situation, way back when he saw Kayo again for the first time with Mirai. He can’t deny that for a moment, he was a bit heartbroken and jealous of Hiromi, feeling he could very well be living a life Satoru may have been able to have with her himself. But then he saw Mirai and realized that sometimes life goes differently than how you had imagined and that something even more beautiful is born from it. After meeting Airi again and having that happiness for himself, he can say with certainty that he would never trade it for the world, even if he could go back and be with her in another timeline. Things ended up as they were meant to.

After her tears have finally dried, Tsubaki pulls herself together and gets back to the task at hand. “I really do believe that he needs to do the competition, to allow himself to find that spark once again and see that even without Kaori, he can be great and that he can be his own sunshine. But I don’t know how to make him do it without having blowouts like the one we just had.”

“I agree with you and so I also think I may be able to help you with that, if you’ll allow me.”

“I’m not sure how you could, but I guess I’m willing to do whatever you think is best.”

“Great. Well, I think it’s going to require the help of Watari and maybe some others too. Do you know if there are any other musically inclined people that may be a good resource for him? Sometimes it’s easier for people to break out of their ruts when they are prodded by like-minded individuals, which is likely why Kaori was able to do it. He may need someone to do it again.”

Tsubaki thinks for a moment and then has an ah-ha moment. “Oh! Maybe Igawa-san and Aiza-san can help. They were his childhood friends in the music world before they lost touch.”

“That sounds perfect. Now, let’s discuss the plan.” They talk it over, ready to put it in motion.


	9. The Caged Bird That Found Its Song Again

Satoru approaches the door nervously, rehearsing one more time. He’d spent the last hour going over what to say with Tsubaki and now he finds himself in front of Kousei’s door. He’s going to pretend to be a talent scout interested in Kousei, to provide the reason for why he should compete. The rest will be up to the others, as he doesn’t want to involve himself too deeply. Taking a deep breath, he knocks on the door. “Excuse me, is there a Kousei Arima-san here?”

No one responds for a long minute and Satoru starts to wonder if he’s even in, or maybe if he’s ignoring him, but then the door opens slowly. “Yes?” Kousei peeks out from behind the door.

“Hello, my name is Satoru Fujinuma and I’m a scout who looks for the most promising musicians and you Arima-san are who I’m interested in the most. Your performance at the Spring competition was absolutely superb and so I was looking forward to seeing you shine once again at the Summer competition, but then I was quite shocked to see you hadn’t signed up as of yet. It’s because of this that I felt inclined to visit you personally and say that I believe it’d be an absolute shame if you were not to compete. If you were able to give another outstanding performance there, you would certainly be accepted into the Musical Arts High School, I represent, one of the most prestigious in the country. I assume you’ve heard of it?”

Kousei doesn’t look very enthused, but he’s also not sad, just indifferent. “Of course, even beginners know of the school you speak of, it’s truly prestigious. However, I’m sorry Fujinuma-san, but I have no desire to compete or attend the school. Thank you for your interest.”

He begins to shut the door, but Satoru stops him. “Wait, just a moment! Please hear me out.”

“What is there to hear? I’m not interested. I’m sorry.” He again starts to shut the door.

“There’s something I think you should know. It’s in relation to Kaori Miyazono!”

The door comes to a sudden halt and Kousei’s expression visibly changes for the first time. “Kaori? What does this have to do with her? How do you even know of her?”

“Perhaps it’d be better if I came inside. May I?”

Kousei seems a bit wary at first, but then opens the door wider. “Ok, just for a bit.” Satoru bows and then enters the house, closing the door behind him. He follows Kousei to the living room.

“Thank you for hearing me out, I really wanted to speak with you about this.”

“Sure, is there anything I can get for you? Though I don’t have much.”

“No, I’m fine, but thank you. Please join me so we can speak.”

Kousei sits across from him and looks at him expectantly. “Ok, so now what about Kaori?”

“Right. Well, the truth is, Miyazono-san was also very high on our list of potential students for our school as we’d been following her performances and they were superb as well. We were also hoping to see her compete in the Spring competition alongside you again, and so we were deeply saddened by her unfortunate death. Please accept our condolences on that as well. I can’t begin to imagine what you’re going through, but there’s no doubt you two were an amazing duo.”

“I appreciate your condolences, but what does that have to do with anything? All that does is remind me that I’m nothing without her. She was the one who really deserved to attend your school, she was the real talented one, not me. I’m just a washed up prodigy. I’m useless now.”

“I don’t think that’s true. There’s no doubt she was talented and together you two were unbeatable, but you were performing solo in the last competition and that very well may have been your best ever, even from your prodigy days. Your love for her and for the music spread throughout that hall and even if she helped to push it out of you, it was always there. Therefore, I believe you can do it again and even surpass that level, if you just believed in yourself more.”

“Thanks, but I still don’t see where she comes into this. Do you really want me or her?”

“We wanted you both. We’d approached her early on and expressed our interest in her coming to our school, but she said point blank that she wouldn’t consider attending unless you could too.”

His eyes widen. “She really said that? Why would she say something like that?”

“Well that’s simple, she really believed in you. She said that you were actually even better than her, but you just hadn’t found your song yet. She said you inspired her to become who she was and that without you, there would be no her and so she wouldn’t accept unless you went too.”

Kousei looks like he may cry, but he holds it back, thinking silently. “She really was amazing.” He chuckles to himself. “She had such faith in me, yet I’ve done nothing to deserve it lately.”

“Well, this is your chance. Enter the competition and do your best. Win it and prove her right.”

“You make it sound so easy. I don’t even know where to begin with being ready. I haven’t touched the piano in months and the deadline to enter is tomorrow. I have no chance at all.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that!” Suddenly Tsubaki comes in, her enthusiasm high. “Surprise!”

Just behind her, a familiar face enters with a frown. “Wow, what a pig sty. You’re so lame.”

“Emi-san?” Kousei is surprised to see his distant old friend and biggest rival. “What are you-.”

“What am I doing here? I’ll tell you. Tsubaki called me and practically begged me to come bail you out. I refused, but she kept pestering me and so I decided I’d do it, but just this once.”

“Yea, I’ll have you know I had to go through great lengths to find her number and get her to agree. So you’d better treat me to something nice one of these days. I tried to recruit Aiza-san as well, but he was too busy and said he wasn’t going to help his competition.”

“Well, that’s understandable. Truthfully, I don’t know that it’s smart to be helping my rival either, but I’m doing this as a favor. I’m only helping you find your song though, I won’t help you master it. You’ll have to do that on your own. There’s no time to waste though, so now everyone needs to leave. When I train, I get serious, which means there’s no time for fun.”

“Wow, you really don’t mess around do you Emi-san?” Tsubaki laughs out loud.

“That’s Igawa-san to you and no I do not, so please leave at once!” She shoos her out the door.

“Ok, ok, I’m going. You better fix Kousei or I won’t keep my end of the deal, got it?”

“I never fail when I make a promise, so don’t worry about that. Now goodbye.” Once Tsubaki is out the door, Emi turns to Satoru with a glare. “That means you to Scout-san.”

“Oh my, well I can see you are quite serious. I suppose it’s time to take my leave then, I’ve said all I needed to say anyway.” He turns to Kousei. “I’m really looking forward to your performance Arima-san, so I really hope you’ll do your best. Please take care.” Satoru bows again and then exits. He takes in a deep breath, happy things seemed to be going right according to plan. Now all that’s left for him to do is wait and hope that it’ll all turn out ok.

“Emi-san, are you really intending on starting right now? It’s already evening time.”

“Music stops for neither person nor time, so neither can we. I’m going to work you hard.”

Kousei can see that she’s very serious and that she’s not going to back down and so he braces himself and gives it his best effort to keep up. They begin by having him play various cords and strings as a warm up and then progress into simple songs, all of which he does well. However, once they move into full compositions, things begin to unravel and his pressure mounts.

“Are you even trying?! What is that? Even on my worst day I could never be that bad!”

“I’m sorry ok! I just can’t do it. Every time I think that I can get into the flow of the song, I freeze up. Unlike before, I can hear the music now, but to make my fingers actually move and play is another thing. It’s like every time I start, I keep expecting to hear her violin come in behind me, but when I don’t, I can’t move forward. I’m trapped in this cage and it’s like she held the key. She set me free and gave me my song. With her gone, I can’t get out of this cage and my song is lost. I’m sorry Emi-san, but I don’t think I can do this.” He slouches down.

It’s silent for a moment and he expects her to give up and leave him be, but that doesn’t happen. Instead, she cuts into him, deep. “Well then, you’re a disgrace to musicians everywhere.”

Kousei feels genuinely stung by her harsh words. “Huh?”

“I’m sorry, was I not clear? I said you’re a disgrace to musicians everywhere!” She shouts.

“Hey, isn’t that a bit harsh? I am human you know. Am I not allowed to have feelings?”

“Of course you can have feelings, if you didn’t, you wouldn’t be a musician at all. However, those feelings should serve to motivate you, not hinder you. Musicians don’t speak with words, they speak through their music, using instruments as their tools to convey those emotions. When a musician hurts, is in pain, is angry, is sad, is anything at all, they don’t sit at home and pout. They don’t sit alone and cry. They don’t look to others to come and save them and make everything ok. No! They play their music, lose themselves in it and let everyone know what they feel. They use all those emotions to enhance their music and move others so that they can feel as they do. That’s what making music is all about! That’s what you need to be doing!”

Kousei can’t believe how harsh she just was. “I know that ok? Don’t you have compassion?”

Emi frowns. “I’m not here to give you compassion Kousei, I’m here to give you help. I know that Miyazono-san was gentle with you and persuaded you with compassion, but I’m not her, sorry. This is how I do things, so you either take it or leave it. It makes no difference to me.”

Kousei almost allows himself to say that he’s done and she can leave, but then he suddenly thinks back to the times Kaori was helping him train. She was gentle and she never made him feel like a disgrace even when he felt he was. She babied him to an extent and that’s exactly what Emi is saying. During that time, it may have been what he needed and it was a method only Kaori could’ve used. However, Emi is a realist and tells him exactly what he needs to hear, even if it hurts. She’s not afraid to say he’s a disgrace, because right now he is. He’s no longer that lost bird whose wings had been clipped. Kaori helped him mend those wings and soar again. However, now he’s a caged bird that’s too afraid to leave the comfortable cage his last caretaker provided for him. Thinking it was trapped and couldn’t venture outside without them, when really, the door has been unlocked the entire time. A key is no longer needed and it’s always been up to him to leave. All this time he’s been waiting to be saved by someone, when he’s always had the tools to save himself, if he simply takes that first step. Realizing just how stupid he’d been, he decides at last that he’s not going to keep himself quiet. He’s going to sing louder than anyone has ever heard a bird sing as he soars through the sky. He will be someone that Kaori can look down on and be proud of, so that all the effort she put in for him wouldn’t have been wasted, in her short and beautiful life. He looks at Emi. “Emi-san, I’m ready now.”

Emi is surprised for just a moment, seeing the newly lit flame in his eyes. He’s finally awoken. “Well good, perhaps you’re not so hopeless after all. Let’s get this done then. By this time next week, you’ll be playing like a real pro and then on the next day, we’ll be enemies again.”

Kousei smiles. “Of course. I’m sorry Emi-san, but now that I’ve found my resolve, I’m not going to lose this. I’m going to win it all! I hope you won’t think less of me after helping me so much.”

“Please. I’d think less of you if you didn’t say this. I’m not going to go easy on you either, so you better be ready. I don’t intend to lose, so give me your best shot.” They share a competitive smile and then get back to work. They work hard together, late into the night and beyond.

A week passes quickly and it’s finally the day of the competition. Satoru finds his way to a seat, towards the back, in an effort to not stand out too much. He didn’t want to chance running into anyone and making them think he really was a scout and get in any trouble with the real ones that might be present. He’d spent the last week in a cheap inn, waiting for this day, hoping his efforts would pay off. He wonders how time is passing back in the present time and if Homura is ok. If this goes well today, he should be able to get back there later.

The host opens up the show and introduces the first competitor, Takeshi Aiza. Satoru recognizes the name and realizes he must be the other friend Tsubaki had mentioned. He looks serious. He begins and right out the gate, his music explodes through the hall and no one is left untouched. Once he’s done, Satoru finds himself at a loss for words at his powerful performance. There is a roar of applause as he exits the stage. A few more competitors go after, but don’t quite measure up. After, it’s Emi’s turn. She comes out with confidence and once she starts to play, they all can see why. She’s got such an alluring aura that leaves the listener entranced in her piece. She’s quite certainly matched with Aiza-san, perhaps just a smidge better. She smiles confidently and exits. A few more inferior performers go and then at last, the final contestant is Kousei. He comes out with a nervous confidence, but looks far more engaged than he did the day Satoru saw him. He sits, prepares himself and after a moment of silence, he begins. What they hear next is almost too much to handle. His song, his melody reaches to the heart of each and every one of the audience members, shattering their very souls. The pain, anguish, sadness is stifling, but then comes the joy and treasured memories of happiness, to ease the sensation. It sends them all through an emotional journey, even Satoru finding himself recalling his times with Airi and Saori, even bringing tears to his eyes. This, without a doubt, was the most moving piece.

The results are soon announced and just as expected, Kousei won by a landslide. Satoru did not wish to involve himself further, so he only watched from a distance as he and his friends celebrated their win. Aiza-san looked disappointed, but honorably accepted his defeat, vowing to win next time. Emi also came to vow for a comeback, but she also took a moment to speak with Kousei alone, while the others went to go buy a drink at Tsubaki’s persuasion.

“Well you really did it. Here I was expecting you to fail, but you proved me wrong. Congrats.”

Kousei rubs the back of his head. “Well, it’s not like I could’ve done it without you Emi-san.”

“Enough with the Emi-san, I think we’ve become familiar enough for you to call me Emi now.”

Kousei blushes and fidgets nervously. “Oh…um, ok…Emi.” He can’t look her in the eye.

Suddenly, she finds herself feeling flustered, only now realizing the implications of that. “What are you thinking? Idiot! It’s just a name, what are you getting all flustered for?” She says this, but her face is getting redder by the second. “If that’s the case, then it’s only fair I can call you Kousei too.” They both fidget nervously, unable to make eye contact, until a man arrives.

“Hello, you must be Igawa-san and Arima-san right?” A professional looking man asks them.

“Yes, that’s right. Who are you?” Emi looks suspicious. Kousei is simply curious.

“I’m a scout for a certain prestigious Musical Arts High School, I’m sure you’ve heard of it?”

Now they both look interested. “You mean…that school? The best in the country?”

“Well one of them yes. I’ve had my eye on you two for a while and after having seen both of your performances today, I would be absolutely honored if you’d join us as our students starting in the Spring. It would be under full scholarship of course and you will be trained by the best.”

They look at each other excitedly and without hesitation Emi says, “yes! I would love to!”

Kousei hesitates a bit, but after looking up and seeming to consult with his heart, he finally says, “yes, I’d like to attend as well. Thank you very much Sir.” He bows and Emi follows suit.

“Very good. I’ll be in touch with you both very soon. Until then, please take care.” He walks away and suddenly they look like any other 14 year olds who’ve just found out great news.

“We did it Kousei! We actually got accepted to that school! I’m one step closer to my dream!”

“We did! But it was all thanks to you Emi, I couldn’t have gotten here without you.” He smiles and Emi blushes. They also realize that they’d clasped hands in the process, making them both become even more flustered. All their competitiveness is gone and they look like normal teens crushing on each other. Satoru smiles and feels that the future really will be bright for them.

“Ah…looks like I’ve lost to someone else once again.” Satoru is startled by Tsubaki’s sudden appearance. “Oh well, it’s like you said Satoru-san, I have to be willing to accept that the person to save him and open his heart again may not be me right? It still kind of hurts though.”

Satoru sees a few tears escape her eyes and he again comforts her. “It’s never easy, but you’re doing the right thing. He may not need you by his side in that way, but he’ll always need his friend. That’s the one thing no one can ever take from you, never forget that, ok Tsubaki?”

“Mm.” She nods with a pained smile. Watari is suddenly beside her and also comforts her, putting his hand on her shoulder. She’s surprised, but accepts it graciously. Satoru smiles, knowing that those two also have a bright future ahead of them. The Caged Birds have been freed and have found their songs. With nothing left to do, Satoru is pulled back once again.


	10. The Final Target

Satoru returns to the present, recognizing the familiar world. Before him, Kousei stands, like Yuzuru did before, shimmering. He smiles pleasantly and says, “thank you Satoru. You saved me from my despair and allowed me to live again and find new happiness. However, it wasn’t just me you helped, you helped the others too. So this is for you, as thanks.” He passes over three light orbs like the one Yuzuru had given him and following their path, they once again enter Homura, who is standing to the side, as before. “I wish you the best on your journey and I hope you find your family. I’d be happy if our path could cross again, perhaps in another time. Until then, please take care.” He waves and then is gone, his soul moving on in peace.

Satoru turns to Homura, who actually looks a bit surprised, for the first time. “I can’t even believe it, I never thought you’d be able to pull that one off. I knew of Kousei; he was probably one of the toughest cases here. I was certain that he’d become corrupted before he ever found his way back. You must have been really convincing to make him change for the better.”

Satoru laughs. “Is that a compliment I hear?”

“Please, don’t get full of yourself. I was just stating facts.”

“Right, if you say so. Anyway, I didn’t really do that much to be honest. I just put the plan in motion, but it was ultimately his friends that pulled him back and made him change. I was just there for the ride and got to see something amazing along the way. However, I think you can see now that people can change, they just need to have reasons to do so. He had found his.”

“Well, if you say so. Anyway, we got a huge haul from that one, as I expected, so I’d estimate one more good one should allow us the ability to defeat the witch, so get moving already.”

“Ok, no need to be so pushy.” Satoru looks around for others, but finds that there seems to be no one around. “By the way, did time pass for you or did I go and return right away?”

“To me, you were only gone a few minutes. Time works differently in these situations.”

“Oh, that’s what I thought. It was a week for me, but only minutes for you; fascinating.”

“You can fanboy about it later. Are you seeing anyone who can be the next target yet?”

“No, I’m not seeing my butterfly or anyone for that matter. Isn’t it a bit strange?”

“Hmm, now that you mention it, it does seem to have cleared out since you returned. It may-.” Homura is suddenly alert. “Get back!” Just as she says this, the ground begins to shake and crack beneath them. From these cracks, several creatures begin to emerge, all looking as twisted and grotesque as the monsters before, but even more so and much more terrifying. “We’ve gotta get out of here now! Let’s go!” Homura grabs Satoru’s arm and pulls him along, before he can even respond. She runs down the street and then into a dark alley, taking cover behind a trash bin.

Satoru can hear the horde of monsters passing by, unaware that they’ve turned off the main road and shivers. “What were those? Why did they suddenly come up and chase after us?”

“Those were the lesser witches. The various souls that became corrupted and slaves of the witch. If they have risen up like this and are after us, then that confirms my suspicion. We’re getting very close and I have a feeling they will continue after us the closer we get to the final target.”

“So, if we follow them, we should probably find the final target right?”

“That’s my hypothesis anyway. So we should look for other people and when they show up, we’ll know we’re on the right track. It seems like they’ve passed us by now, so let’s go back the way we came and look for others. They may have just got spooked by the monsters.”

“Ok then. You lead the way. I have no knowledge on navigating this world.”

“Yea I know as much. Just follow me and stay close, so you don’t die.” She stands and with Satoru just behind, they make their way back the way they came, looking around for people. They search high and low, in every shop, house and alley, but even an hour later, they find no one. “What is this? Has everyone disappeared or something?” Homura is frustrated.

“Could it be that Kousei was the final tether? Now that he’s moved on, perhaps the witch no longer has the strength to keep hold of any other lost souls?”

“If that were the case, then the witch would’ve revealed herself already. However, only her minions have revealed themselves, which means she’s trying to prevent us from finding the remaining target. There must be one, the most important one, which is why she’s sent them. She’s starting to get scared that we will win. That’s why it’s so strange. There seems to be no one else around here now but you and I. Since clearly I’m not the one, the only person that would leave is….” Like a light bulb going off, Homura looks at Satoru. “It must be…you….”

Satoru is shocked. “Me? No way, how could it be me? I’m the one who’s supposed to be saving these souls, so there’s no way it could be myself. If I could go back and fix my past, I wouldn’t need to be here or go through all of this. My butterfly would’ve come to me already and sent me back as before, allowing me to use revival as it did in the past. But it hasn’t, so I can’t be it.”

“Well, then do you have any idea who it could be. Do you see anyone else around here?”

Satoru starts to think, trying to put the puzzle pieces in place. He can feel that they are close and that all the pieces are right in front of him, but he’s missing something. He doesn’t believe he could possibly be the final target, but if not him, then who? He thinks hard and then suddenly has a breakthrough. “Maybe….” He looks at Homura, studying her closely. Her appearance hasn’t changed, yet now that he’s looking, she seems profoundly different. She seems brighter, her skin seems to have more color, her hair a deeper shine and her eyes most of all, have become less dull. Putting that together with the fact that those orbs went inside of her each time and these changes seemed to have enhanced each time, they must be related. Then all of a sudden, everything Homura had told him about her past, her love and everything in between comes together and clicks inside his head. “That’s it! Homura, I think that-.”

Before he could finish, a monster jumps down from a ledge and with a screech, attacks Satoru. However, just before it can stick its claws into him, Homura blows it away with her gun. “I told you to be more alert! Come on!” She grabs them and once again they run, however this time, they don’t intend to let them escape so easily. More come out from other directions, eventually surrounding them. “Alright then, it looks like they’re getting serious now. Fine, then I guess I’ll play.” She pumps herself up for a fight. “Satoru, I’m going to make an opening for you. When I do, I want you to run and hide somewhere until I take care of them. You got that?”

“I do, but are you going to be ok? Will you be able to handle these all on your own?”

She laughs out loud. “Who do you think I am? I’ve been doing this for a long time. They’ve got nothing on me. So worry about yourself. If you die, it’ll be your own fault for not listening.”

“Ok fine, but I’m still going to wish you good luck. So good luck.”

She doesn’t respond, but she smiles slightly in response. She aims her guns at a section of the circle and blasts them with impressive power, making a wide gap. “Go now Satoru!”

Satoru runs through the opening and she demanded and runs away as fast as he can. He looks back, to see Homura blasting away at the monsters, however he notices something. He stops running and turns back. He can see that the monsters have not given chase to him, despite seeing him run past them, however, they are not being offensive against Homura either. They simply stand or float in place, while Homura is the only one putting any effort in. They don’t even attempt to defend against her guns. Satoru has a strong hunch, but there is only one way he can be sure of it. He begins walking back towards them and as he gets closer, the monsters start to become active again. The closer he gets to Homura, the more they encircle her, like a protective barrier, to keep her safe and secure. They only start to become aggressive when Satoru is within their reach. “So I was right. It is how I thought it was. I figured it out Homura, the final target.”

“You idiot! What do you think you’re doing? I gave you an out and you came waltzing back here without a care in the world? Get away from here before you end up dead!”

“I can’t go away, because if I do, this will never end. Besides, they aren’t going to hurt me, not intentionally anyway. I’m not their target, but they do preserve me as a threat, so they won’t come for me directly, but they also won’t let me get too close. Haven’t you noticed?”

“What are you even talking about? Do you think this is a game or something?”

“No, it’s not a game, not at all. Don’t you see it though; they are not trying to attack you either. In fact, they are doing the exact opposite. You said it yourself, that these lesser witches were the minions of the witch right? That if she sent them out, it meant we were getting close to the final target. Naturally, she doesn’t want us finding the final target, because once that target is found and I release them, she’s going to be destroyed, no longer having a tether to this realm.”

“Ok, I know all of that. They probably aren’t attacking because the witch probably doesn’t want you dead. Knowing her, she probably wants you for herself, to torture you for all eternity. If anything, they’re trying to keep us apart so that she can get you easily and I won’t be able to interfere. That’s the only explanation there can be.”

“You’re right about that first part. She definitely wants us to be apart and she doesn’t want me dead, but it’s not because she wants to torture me. She would’ve done so long ago if that was the case. So the question remains then, why would the witch send her minions out to keep us separated, but not allow them to harm me or you? Would an evil monster truly do such a thing?”

“No…I suppose not. You almost make it sound like the witch is trying to keep you from succeeding, but avoid hurting you in the process. The witch isn’t the type to do that.”

“Perhaps not usually, but what if it were a friend, or someone she came to respect? Do you think she’d want to see them get hurt, even if they were the only ones who could destroy her?”

“I don’t understand. What are you getting at? Do you really believe the witch has friends?”

“She didn’t, but that doesn’t mean she can’t make them, even if she doesn’t realize it herself.”

“You really are a strange person Satoru; I’ve never met or befriended anyone like you before.”

“So you admit I’m a friend then? Now I have no doubt. I’ve found the final target at last.”

“What are you saying idiot? There’s no one around but us? Are you going mad?”

Satoru laughs. “Maybe I am, but I’m going to finish this now, so we can both get back to our loved ones. Now I’m about to do something reckless, but don’t let me die ok?”

“What are you….” Satoru doesn’t wait for her to finish and instead charges straight for the circle of monsters. They suddenly get aggressive and prepare to strike out at him. “Uh, you idiot!” She blasts them away just before he gets slashed, allowing an opening once again. He runs inside grabs her, hugging her tight. “Hey, what do you think you’re doing?!”

“Saving you. It’s you Homura, you are the final target and the key to stopping the witch.”

“No, you’re wrong, I can’t be the one. I’m not lost. I’ve come and gone from this realm numerous times, I’ve faced the witch numerous times. This is impossible. You’re wrong.”

“I’m not. Of course you’ve come and gone from here and of course you’ve faced off against her but as you’ve said yourself, you can never quite defeat her. Haven’t you ever wondered why?”

“I know why. It’s because she cursed me. My punishment is to fight against her forever.”

“Why would you have to face such a punishment though? What have you done to deserve it?”

“I, I….” Homura realizes she’s not even sure anymore. She can’t remember anything before she became a magical girl. However, in a rush, all those suppressed memories come rushing back and Satoru can see them too. He can finally understand it all and just like the others, he is sucked into the vortex and transported to the past. The past of Homura Akemi, that was long forgotten.


	11. The Forgotten Past of Homura Akemi-San

“You wicked child!” A woman’s voice can be heard yelling as a loud slap echoes through the room. A young girl is the victim of this slap, falling hard down to floor. “You’ve been using them again haven’t you? You’ve been doing the devil’s work right? Answer me!” She kicks her.

The child grunts, but no cries or sobs can be heard at all. She stands up wobbly as she grips her stomach where she had been kicked, her ash black hair obscuring most of her face, except for a single violet eye that burns with hatred. With pursed lips, she glares at the woman defiantly.

“Not going to answer me are you? Fine, then it’s into the closet with you! Maybe time alone in the darkness will purge out the darkness you hold within your soul. Those evil powers of yours are a sin, yet you continue to use them. I won’t allow it! I will not be the mother of a witch!” She grabs the girl and pulls her along to a small broom closet. She opens the door and shoves her inside. “Now you stay in there and repent. Perhaps it’s not to late for god to show you mercy.” She slams the door shut and locks it from the outside, before walking away.

“I’m not a witch.” The girl mutters these words quietly, with no one to hear her or even care. She still doesn’t care for the darkness, but having been forced to reside in it for most of the day for so long in her 6 years of life, she’s grown accustomed to it and no longer cries. She clutches her only companion against her chest, a stuffed bunny cat. “You believe me, right Kyu-chan?”

She snuggles the toy and closes her eyes, eventually finding comfort in that darkness by entering the special place she created within her mind, where no one can hurt her. Kyu-chan doesn’t speak as expected, being he’s not real, however his eyes glow a bright pink in the darkness.

###

Time passes and soon that girl grows, and becomes a first year middle school student. “Now you listen to me child. You have a chance at a fresh start. It’s a new school, with new people who don’t know you and neither will their parents. I chose to give up our old lives and move here just for that reason. We can both get fresh starts, you want it too don’t you?” She doesn’t respond, which angers her mother and causes her to grip her shoulders tightly. “I’m telling you right here and now, don’t you dare defy me! You are not to ever show anyone your powers, or I’ll keep you in that closet for the rest of your life, do you understand!”

“Yes mother.” Her voice is cold and distant, her eyes are hallowed and dim.

“Good, now get out of my sight. Hurry or you’ll be late for your first day.”

“Yes mother.” She grabs her bag and leaves the house, saying nothing more. She begins her journey down the street towards her new school. Along the way, she passes groups of students heading to the same place. They laugh and play and generally seem to be enjoying themselves. There was a time that she’d imagined herself behaving in such a manner, but then she realized that that kind of happiness was fake and that true friendship and happiness didn’t exist. Die. You should all just die. She whispers these words to herself, each iteration seeming to darken her heart more and more and give her an unsettling aura many have called, the scent of the witch.

“Eww, look at that freak over there. Is she going to our school? What’s with her dark look?” She can hear the whispers and murmurs of her peers all around. They used to bother her, but she’s used to it now. She can even laugh at it now and she does so, with a huge grin. “Creepy….”

It didn’t take long for people to pick up on her strange vibe and avoid her. She was fine with that though, because she found the most comfort when she was alone. She’s come to find that she doesn’t need anyone, because getting close to others has never brought her more than pain and tragedy. She has vowed to never befriend anyone ever again. Despite avoiding everyone however, she was still the target of the worst bullying. It got so bad, that she began skipping school and spending the day in the playground alone. She’d hide out in the play tubes once kids started showing up, in her own little corner that no one intruded on, simply because they couldn’t see her. She could do a lot of things with her powers, creating illusions was one of them. She’d spend her days there, drifting in and out of her own illusionary world, her only peaceful place.

“He, he….” The girl wakes up to what sounds like a laugh. She opens her eyes to see a girl, who looks like she could be a child, sitting on her knees with a grin. “They’ll never find me here.” Her pink hair is tied on each side with a bow, like side ponytails. “Hmm?” She turns her head and reveals the prettiest magenta eyes the girls ever seen and she finds herself staring. The pink haired girl looks at the girl in front of her curiously. “Hello are you ok? Do you need help?”

The girl almost doesn’t realize she’s being addressed until she sees that the pink haired girl has been staring back at her this whole time. “You can see me?” No one has ever been able to see through her illusions, so how is it that this girl can and is even speaking with her directly?

“Of course I can see you silly.” She laughs. “Oh, are you hiding from your friends too?”

“No, I don’t…I don’t have any friends. I just wanted to be by myself, so go away.”

“No one really wants to be alone, so I don’t believe that. Besides, making friends is easy.”

“What would you know? You’re just a cute little girl who believes everyone is her friend.”

“You’re right, I do see everyone as a friend and so that means you too. It’s just as simple as reaching out a hand and asking. Look, I’ll show you.” She holds out her hand and waits.

“What do you expect me to do with that? Leave me alone. I don’t want to be your friend.”

“But I want to be yours. My name is Madoka Kaname, will you be my friend?” She smiles. In that moment, the girl saw a brightness she’d never seen before in her smile and a warmth in her chest she’d never felt and found herself reaching her hand out to meet her. They connect and she feels as though something in her world got just a bit good. “See, easy right? What’s your name?”

The girl wants to be wary and turn away. She wants to push her out and return to her comfortable seclusion. She’s afraid to be hurt again, to be deceived by someone just pretending to care. However, she finds that this girl has far too much goodness to be bad and so unable to resist, she tells her. “Ho-Homura. My name is Homura Akemi. I’m a first year at the middle school.”

“Oh really?! I am too, that’s great Homura-chan!” She sees her blush. “Oh sorry, is it ok to call you that? Sometimes I get carried away and get informal with others without asking first.”

Homura was taken a bit by surprise, never having been called in such a friendly manner, but she doesn’t dislike it. “It-It’s ok, but then let me call you Madoka-san. Then we’re even.”

“Ok, but just call me Madoka. Friends don’t need to be so formal right?” She laughs. “Anyway, what class are you in? I might have seen you and just didn’t realize, but it’s ok because now that we’re friends I’ll always see you….” She rambles on about this and that and although Homura usually finds these types annoying, she doesn’t really mind Madoka. Though she still wonders why she could even see her. “Oh, they still haven’t found me yet, I wonder why? Oh well, I guess I should go find them. Come with me Homura-chan, then you can meet them too and get even more friends. “Mami, Sayaka, Kyouko are all really cool, so I’m sure they’ll be your friend too. Though hands off Sayuka or Kyouko might get mad at you. Otherwise they’re all-.”

“No!” Homura snatches her hand back, causing Madoka to become unsteady and fall forward.

“Ah!” She lets out a yelp as she falls face first. She turns and sits up, clutching her knee. “Ouch.”

Homura can see her knee is bleeding and she instantly feels guilty. She’s done it again. “I’m sorry Madoka! I didn’t mean to! This is why we shouldn’t be friends, I’m too dangerous.”

“It was just an accident. I’m ok, really, see.” She smiles widely, even as she winces in pain.

Homura is shocked at this strange girl and decides that maybe it’d be ok to show her. “Here, let me heal you.” Madoka looks confused, but Homura decides showing is better than explaining. She places her hands over her knee and with a warm energy, she starts to heal the wound.

Madoka watches in awe as Homura does something amazing and soon, her wound is completely healed. “Woah…. That’s so amazing! How did you do that? You have powers, so are you a-.”

“A witch right? That’s why I have these powers. That’s what everyone always says, so it must be true. So it’s ok, you can call me a witch too, these powers are nothing but a curse anyway.”

“A witch? No, I don’t think you are. I was going to say magical girl, just like the ones they have on TV. That’s really awesome, I wish I could be a magical girl. How great would it be to fight bad guys and save everyone in the world? It would just be you and me, the perfect duo.”

Homura can hardly believe what she’s hearing. No one has ever praised her for her powers and no one has ever wished to be the same. Before she even realizes it, tears are streaming down her face. “Why are you so nice? I’m just a freak. I don’t deserve to be happy or have friends.”

“Sure you do! Everyone does, so don’t say you don’t. you’re my friend Homura, forever!” She hugs her tightly and for the first time ever, Homura can feel her heart move and feel love.

It was getting late and so they said their goodbyes for the day, but they agreed to meet again at the same place tomorrow. When Homura arrives home, she gets scolded for skipping school again, slapped and sent to her room without dinner. She lies in her bed that night, clutching her stuffed toy as always and thinking about Madoka. “I think I made a real friend today Kyu-chan, her name is Madoka and she’s really nice. She even said she wished she could be like me and save the world as magical girls. I really wish it were possible too. I’d make a world filled with real witches and then she and I, could fight together. Can I Kyu-chan, can I?”

She falls asleep, dreaming of such a world, that she knows will likely never exist outside of her dreams. But even so, she genuinely wishes it to be so, even if she can only find it in her dreams. However, like before, Kyu-chan’s eyes glow bright and in one night, the world is reformed.

When Homura wakes up, she notices Kyu-chan is no longer in her arms. “Kyu-chan?” She searches all around, but doesn’t find him. She runs to her mother’s room. “Mom, Kyu-chan is gone! I can’t find him anywhere. Did you see him? Mom, mom! Please answer me!”

She’s slapped hard across the face. “Quit all that racket! Can’t you see I’m trying to sleep? I don’t know where that ugly doll is, but if it’s gone then good riddance. Really, 12 years old still playing with toys and dolls. It’s time to grow up. Now get ready for school and out my sight.”

Homura stands up and for the first time in a while, feels true hatred. So much hatred, that Homura feels consumed by it, as though the essence of that hatred is leaking from her. She wants to say many things, but all she can manage as usual is simply, “yes Mother.” She gets herself ready for school and leaves without another word to her or a thought about Kyu-chan.

“Homura-chan!” Madoka comes running towards her as she sits on the swing waiting. Her sour mood is lifted instantly and they play together the entire afternoon playing “magical girls”. Once it starts to get dark, Madoka decides to head home. “It’s getting late, so let’s play some more tomorrow ok? I’ll invite my friends and then we can all have fun together!”

Homura had a lot of fun. In fact, she’s had more fun than she ever had before and so she doesn’t want anyone coming between them or that. “No!” Madoka looks confused. “I mean, it’s nice like this isn’t it? We’re having so much fun with just the two of us. So why change it now?”

“Because, they’re my friends and I want them to be yours too. I promise they’ll be nice to you.”

Homura finds herself getting angry and feeling that darkness again. “No! I don’t want that!”

Madoka looks a bit shocked at her harsh outburst and pouts. “But, they’re my friends….”

Homura realizes she’s being selfish and it’s causing Madoka pain, which makes her feel even angrier than before, but this time at herself. The essence of hatred is practically suffocating. In an instant, there is a loud screech. They both turn to see some sort of monster with an asymmetrical body and multicolored composition. Homura recognizes it as something from her dream. “This is a….” The monster screeches again and then jumps towards them. “Madoka, we have to run!”

She grabs Madoka’s hand and leads her away, running into the safety of their play tube hideaway. Madoka is shaking slightly. “Homura-chan…what was that thing?”

Before she can answer, someone else’s voice is heard. “That was a witch, a nasty one too.”

They both look to see some sort of animal crawling towards them. They are scared it might be another of those monsters, but once it’s closer, they see it’s not. Homura instantly recognizes it. “Kyuubey? Kyu-chan, is that you?” She’d know that bunny cat anywhere, her first friend.

“That’s right, it’s me Homura. I’ve come to life thanks to your power. You never really understood the powers yourself, but basically it comes down to your innate spiritual connection. You’ve always been able to traverse realms, it’s from those other realms that you pull your power from. These realms are also the home of various spirits and lifeforms such as myself, but I couldn’t manifest myself in this world without a vessel. Your doll became my vessel and that’s how we came to know each other. You probably never realized that I was able to hear all the things you said, even if I couldn’t respond. I heard your cries and your complaints and your wish. For the first time you made such an earnest wish, that it opened up the gate to my realm and with the help of your powers, you allowed that realm to leak through to this one, taking the shape of your imaginary world. Now I can finally interact with you directly and I also have the power to make your dream of becoming a magical girl come true. Just like in your world, the only way to defeat those witches, is to become a magical girl and banish them back to the other realm. I am here to be your guide in doing so, as well as recruit others into the cause. You see, there are others like you. Other girls who have potential to use such magic, however you are the most powerful, hence why you manifested them all on your own. However, the others, like Madoka here, their powers still lie latent. I can unlock those powers though and make them into true magical girls and with you, they can fight to defeat the witches and keep them in their own realm forever. That potential is why she was able to see through your illusion when no one else could.”

Both girls are shocked, however Madoka quickly catches up. “Wait, so you mean we could be magical girls? Like real ones to fight evil and save the world? I can with Homura-chan?”

“Yes that’s right. I can give you additional power to fight the monsters like the one outside and as a reward, I can even grant you a wish. You can wish for anything you want at all.”

“Wow really? That’s awesome! We can become real magical girls Homura-chan! Isn’t it great?”

Homura had wished for a chance to fight alongside Madoka, but that never seemed like more than a nice dream. Now that it was available in reality, she wasn’t so sure if she wanted that. “I’m not sure if we should Madoka. How can we be sure that nothing bad will happen to us?”

“We’ll be ok, because we’ll be together Homura-chan. It’ll be a special thing just between us.”

“Just between us…?” Homura did like the idea of having a special secret with her that only she could share. It’d prove that they truly were friends and no one could take it away from her.

“Not to rush you girls, but if you don’t decide soon, innocent people might die.”

“Huh? People will die? From that monster out there? It’ll hurt people?”

“Yes that’s right. Witches like that are born from hatred, Homura’s to be exact. You probably didn’t even realize it Homura, but you’re the reason that monster is here. Your hatred for the world and everyone in it brought it here. Your powers allowed it to pass through the gate.”

“I did this? It’s my fault?” She feels pained to know that she could cause people to die. Yes, she’d always wished for it, but again, it was never something she thought could happen in reality. “No, I don’t want that. I don’t want people to get hurt! I want to stop it Kyu-chan!”

“Then let’s stop it together Homura-chan.” Madoka takes her hand in hers. “Let’s do it together.”

“Madoka….” Seeing such a strong desire in her eyes and feeling such a strong bond between them, Homura decides that she’ll do it. As long as she can always be with Madoka, she’d accept.

“So, what’ll it be girls? Would you like to become the world’s very first magical girls?” Kyu-chan holds out a paw and after a nod of affirmation between them, the girls agree. It was then in that secret tunnel, that they became magical girls and began the fight against witches together.

The fought against the witches that night and every night after to track down all ones that had escaped due to Homura’s intense feelings of hatred. They were the perfect duo, however, later on, they discovered Madoka’s friends also had latent potential. Kyu-chan recruited them as well, to Madoka’s satisfaction, but Homura found the additional members a burden. She hated that they were coming between her and Madoka and that it was no longer something that only they could do. This anger and hatred grew over time, causing more witches to escape and allowing them to become even stronger. One night they met their toughest foe yet.

“Mami, Kyouko, Sakuya!” Madoka calls out to her dear friends, who’d finally fallen to the strongest witch they’d yet to face. “No…everyone….” She cries for the loss of her friends, but even she isn’t it the best condition. She’s not sure how much longer she’ll be able to last. “This…this isn’t what I wanted! How did it come to this? I don’t want to do this anymore!”

“Yah!” Homura blasts away at the witch, still going strong, but she looks to see that Madoka is breaking. She clenches her teeth in frustration, knowing she’s the cause of all this. It’s because of her hatred that this witch was born and that all of the others are dead. She intends to send it back to where it came from if it’s the last thing she does. However, she was so busy on fighting it, that she didn’t notice the smaller witches that had appeared and were going after Madoka. “No!”

She charges towards them, but they are too quick. She makes eye contact with Madoka briefly and in them she can see absolute terror, and feels she’s pleading with them for Homura to save her. She lets out a quiet whimper and says in a defeated voice, “Homura-…chan.” The witches are upon her and soon there is nothing left of Madoka Kaname, but a single hair tie.

“No….” Homura falls to her knees, realizing that her one and only precious person was gone and that she’d never return again and it was all her fault. “No….” The tears fall. “Madoka!”

“Ah, I guess they just weren’t strong enough, too bad. I guess it’s just you now Homura-chan.”

“You!” She looks at Kyu-chan, her old friend, with pure hatred and disgust. “This is your fault!”

“Mine? But this is your world Homura-chan, you made it this way. I just granted your wish.”

“Liar! You may have granted my wish, but it wasn’t for anyone but yourself. You’re an evil creature who just wanted to see the world burn and use us as your weapons. I’ll never forgive you! I’ll fix this. I’ll fix all of this and bring them all back. I won’t let you win, Kyuubey!”

He laughs. “I’d like to see you try Homura-chan. Just how do you think you will do that? Now that the evil has been released, you’ll never be able to take it back. Even if you go back and stop Madoka and friends from joining this cause, the witches will still exist and so will I. I will not stop recruiting girls. I will corrupt their souls and turn it into energy for my kind. That has always been my true intention. You gave me this power as an extension of your own. Therefore, I will exist as long as you do. We’ll never be able to harm each other. So why even bother?”

“For Madoka of course. It’s always been for her. Nevermind the world, I will at least save her!”

“Foolish girl, you can go back and repeat this event as often as you wish. Human minds are not so easily changed. No matter how much you try, she will never choose differently. Even if specifics change, it’ll still always come to this in the end. Only she can truly save herself.”

“I don’t care! I’ll try as many times as I must. I will save her, no matter how long it takes!” Homura uses her power to go back, becoming Homura Akemi, the cold transfer student. She does as she promises, doing any and everything in her power to prevent Madoka from joining and the others if she can. However, just as Kyuubey predicted, every time, Madoka joined. She joined only for the sake of everyone and saving them, her precious friends. Each time Homura failed, it took a greater and greater toll on her. She became more and more spiteful, angry and discontented. The mental and emotional toll she experienced was far greater than any physical pain she ever received. Something grew within her and after the final rewrite, where Madoka made the ultimate sacrifice, she became unhinged. Madoka sacrificed her own existence for the sake of magical girls everywhere and as a result, Homura and the others were allowed to live as normal girls. Though she was the only one to retain her powers. The others had forgotten Madoka completely and moved on with their lives. However, Homura couldn’t move on so easily. She went into an extreme depression and once again found solace in her imaginary world. Her hatred grew and grew, so much that it was too much for her to contain. All of that bottled up hatred bled from her and into another realm, the realm that she’d created and traversed many times during her quest to save Madoka. There, that hatred took shape as the worst witch that had come to be yet, though Homura never realized it was born from her own soul. Stuck in the personal limbo of her own mind, she became nothing but an empty vessel, left to waste away in a hospital bed, while her soul traversed this realm. It was here that she encountered this monster, who would become known as The Witch. This creature who could take any form, began to torment those who found themselves stuck in her realm through a trauma or otherwise. She cursed these people to suffer the same fate that she had. Reliving their traumas over and over, losing their loved ones in the process. Homura made it her mission to defeat this witch, but she could never succeed. Everytime she thought she’d won, the Witch would always return. Never had she imagined that this ten-year battle was one fought entirely within a realm of her own creation, The Between. It was a battle of her soul desiring to return to her body, but the guilt and sadness in the form of the witch kept pulling her back. This is the truth behind the legend, her legend. This is the forgotten past of Homura Akemi-san and her one and only love, Madoka.


	12. My Little Blue Butterfly

Satoru opens his eyes to see that they are still in the Between and he’s still hugging Homura. He had thought he was being transported to the past, and in a sense he supposes he was, but not in the way as before. He saw Homura’s past play out like a movie. He was there, but not really there, an onlooker who could do nothing but watch. However, he now understands the truth behind everything. This realm, her struggle and why she’d become the cold and distant loner she had been. She’s been stuck in her own personal hell for all these years and didn’t even know it. When she lost her love, she lost her reason for existing too. Satoru feels a tug in his heart, able to relate to that on a very personal level. He wonders if maybe he had been here during his four-year depression. He doesn’t remember, but after seeing her story, he wouldn’t be surprised. However, one question still remains. Just what is the true nature of his blue butterfly?

“All this time….” Satoru can feel Homura shaking against him. “All this time I had no idea.”

“You couldn’t have known. That’s why they call it limbo. You’re trapped in a world outside normal thought or reason, left to wander in confusion and sorrow for all eternity.”

“How could I have forgotten so much? Before we became magical girls, I had a whole life. A terrible one yes, but still, it was a life. I’d always believed I had been born just to be a magical girl and because I failed to save anyone, my punishment was a never ending battle against the most terrifying being. To think this has all been my fault. The birth of magical girls, this realm, the suffering of countless souls and most of all, Madoka’s erasure of existence. She had ascended to a higher plane just to resolve the situation I created. It’s because of me she had to give up her life, her family, her friends, her everything. That’s why I deserve to be punished. All the hatred that had built up inside of me and brought the Witch. All that hatred was directed at the person who deserved it most, even more than the world that treated me so badly. That person was me. I was angry that I failed to protect the one good thing I had in such a terrible world. Just one single thing! Why should I get to live a normal life when I’m the cause of all the pain? I’ve got no one to blame but myself. That’s why god won’t even let me forget her. Even though everyone else, even her own family forgot her, I still remembered her. Why me? There can only be one answer to that, punishment. I’ll never be able to atone for that sin, so that’s why I deserve to stay here.”

“I’m not so sure that’s it. I think this may be a literal battle with yourself, for forgiveness.”

“Forgiveness? No way. I can never forgive myself. Madoka will never forgive me.”

Just then, Satoru catches sight of the all too familiar being. “I wonder about that.” The butterfly flutters all around Homura’s head, as though trying to get her attention. “I think someone might disagree.” Satoru realizes that he may be a bit more connected to all this than he initially thought.

Homura looks up to see the blue butterfly and she suddenly starts to get a familiar feeling and warmth. “Is this your butterfly Satoru? Has this been what’s leading you all this time?” He nods. Homura stands. “It can’t be….” She follows the butterfly, which begins to lead her. Satoru follows closely behind them, curious as to where it may be leading them to. They travel to seemingly the darkest part of the city and then the butterfly disappears into the darkness. “Wait! Don’t go yet. Where are you-.” Before she can finish, she hears a presence coming from the darkness and a chill travels through her spine. Satoru also feels it, along with a suffocating sensation of dread. From the darkness, comes a shadow figure, like a wraith. Before them is a culmination of all the hatred that had accumulated here, Homura’s hatred, The Witch. “So you finally show yourself. Is it finally time? Will this be our final showdown?” The Witch takes the shape of a human and soon is in the appropriate composition. She now looks identical to Homura, however her eyes are black as the dead of night and there isn’t an ounce of good inside her. “Ok then.” She removes her guns from her holsters and gets them ready. “Let’s do this then. Satoru, you should get back, things may get intense. I’m not sure if I can win this.”

“I believe in you. I think the only one that’s been stopping you all this time is you. You don’t need to punish yourself anymore. What happened may have been caused by you, but it wasn’t your fault. You had no control over it and never would’ve know what was going to happen.”

“I appreciate the support Satoru, but I’m afraid I can’t accept that. I’ve never been destined for happiness. Being born to a mother like that proves it. I was never meant to be like the other girls who hang out with friends after school and talk about fashion and love. I was born with these powers and as long as I have them, I’ll never be happy. I’ll never have love and I’ll always be alone. I know this. I know all of this and yet, I still…Madoka, I wish you were here with me.”

I’m here. Homura suddenly hears a voice, but looking around, she sees no one. Did Satoru say something she wonders? I’m here Homura. I’ve always been here, inside of you. She shakes her head and thinks she must be going crazy. I’m always here, so please, let me help you.

“Ma-Madoka?” Homura practically trembles as she feels that familiar sensation welling up inside of her. She feels like her chest is getting warm and from that warmth, power is surging throughout her entire body, making her feel invincible. Accept me Homura, so we may become one. You don’t have to do this alone, because I am here with you. Let’s fight together, like then.

She can feel Madoka’s warmth and power enveloping her and as a result, her outfit and guns upgrade and change appearance. She appears like a cross between herself and Madoka’s form, the pink and purples intertwining and the pink streaks spreading through her hair like highlights. Homura finally realizes that all this time, Madoka has been there, inside of her. She just never allowed herself to see that and accept her. But she’s not going to run anymore and she’s not going to keep living in regret. She now understands that Madoka would never blame her for what happened because in the end they were exactly the same. Just as Homura was willing to sacrifice everything, even her life to protect Madoka and show her love, Madoka had chosen to protect Homura and show her love by giving her a chance to be a normal girl who no longer had to fight for her sake. She was truly selfless to the end and so now it’s Homura’s turn. “Let’s do this!”

She charges the Witch, who has now seemed to take on a will of its own. It had always run on orders of Homura’s subconscious, but her realization of its true nature and the fact that she’s ready to face it head on has caused a separation. This is why it can now be defeated and vanquished from this realm. Together with Madoka, Homura can win.

Satoru watches as Homura fights with incredible skill, more so than he’d seen in all the fights they have had today. Not only are her attacks more powerful, but her entire being seems to be stronger, she’s truly invested in this battle and knowing that Madoka is there, even in an ethereal form, has really boosted her strength in mind, body and soul. Add in the energy of those souls that Satoru had helped to release and she really has become, unstoppable. Satoru feels as though he’s getting a glimpse of the Homura of the old days, the one who fought confidently and happily with her most beloved partner. The days where she believed that she too, could have happiness. He didn’t know Madoka personally, but she really must have been special.

By this point, the Witch has become very weak and seems to be gripping onto the last leg of her life. Homura gets in position, for one final, finishing blow. “Let’s end this you evil bitch!” Breaking into a run, she gets as close as she can and then jumps up high. With her guns aiming right for her head, at first contact she pulls the triggers and blows every trace of her away.

The Witch is gone and with her goes all the darkness of the realm, causing the sky to brighten. Finally, able to rest, Homura falls to her knees and breathes deeply. “We did it Madoka.”

“Mm, we did.” Homura is startled to hear her voice so loudly, as though she’s right beside her rather than inside of her. However, she notices a blue light and looking up she can see Satoru’s blue butterfly fluttering within that blue light. It starts to transform and take shape. Soon, it takes the form of Madoka. “We can do anything if we do it together, right Homura-chan?”

Homura never thought she’d get to see that smiling face of hers again and so seeing it now brings such pain and joy all at once, that she can’t help but cry. “Madoka…how are you even here?”

“I told you Homura-chan, I’ve always been inside you, but you kept blocking me out. You see, back then, on the day I sacrificed myself, I realized something. Having gotten up close and personal with that Witch, I was able to pick up a familiar feeling. At first I couldn’t understand why it felt so familiar, but then I realized it. It was you Homura. Even though it was an evil being, I realized that some part of it had come from you. After realizing it was a part of you, I immediately knew what it desired and therefore what would pacify it. There could only be one thing and I was the only one who could supply it. So knowing that, it was a no brainer. I knew if it held even a fraction of your soul, then it wouldn’t really be a sacrifice at all, because I’d still get to stay with the only person I ever truly wanted to be with. My sacrifice may have saved everyone and I’m happy it did, but truthfully Homura, my sacrifice wasn’t that selfless. I was actually being really selfish, because I only made that choice so I’d never have to be without you and so you could always have me too. Maybe it wasn’t the way you wanted me, but for me, there could be no better happiness than becoming one with Homura-chan. I gave myself to your darkness, accepting it all into me and in turn, it then returned to you, where it belonged. That’s why you didn’t forget about me when everyone else did. That’s why you could hear my voice speaking to you from within, cheering you on and encouraging you in battle. I’ve always been inside of you Homura-chan, but you had too much guilt to accept me. You caged me in and so all I could do was watch you suffer, unable to help you. It was terrible. So, I used up what power I had left to send out into the world and find someone who could help you break free from this place.” She turns to Satoru. “That was you Satoru-san. I sent you my will the little blue butterfly. I needed to make sure you were up to the task, so I tested you. That test was how you came to know Revival and led you down the path you’ve come to travel to be here now. Thank you.”

Satoru can hardly believe what he’s hearing. “You…you mean you’re the one who created Revival? You allowed me to go back and save Kayo?” She nods. “But why me?”

“I didn’t target you specifically, I really just wanted to find someone with a pure heart who’d be willing to give their all to help others. The butterfly found its way to you based on that criteria. It must have realized that you needed a chance to make things right and so offered you the chance while carrying out my will. Unfortunately, I had no control over the events and so I’m very sorry for the suffering you had to endure in the process. However, during your twelve-year coma, you probably never realized, but you’d spent some time in here in the Between. It was because of this that you were able to manifest within your current timeline. It was a truly rare occurrence and I know you felt that it was fate that allowed you to meet Airi again after having saved Kayo, but truthfully, it was a mistake. The laws of the universe are things that no one can control, not even us. So it’s going to catch up sooner or later when mistakes are made. I’m really sorry about this, but what happened to your family was the universe fixing that mistake. You see, Kayo and Airi were never meant to exists within the same timeline. I’m sure you were aware, but you had genuine feelings for them both. Kayo was love you found as a child, but Airi was love you found as an adult. Because of how things happened, you felt Airi was your true soulmate, and you weren’t technically wrong, but you weren’t exactly right either.”

Satoru is confused. “What do you mean? Are you saying I wasn’t supposed to be with her?”

“Not in that timeline. Homura’s already explained it more or less, but timelines are something like alternate dimensions. They run parallel to each other, but will never intersect. They contain the same structure, but the people, relationships and events are completely different. However, your time here messed up that natural order and caused the two timelines you exist in to intersect. You were living in the timeline in which Kayo survives. That means that you and Kayo would have been together. She would’ve stayed by your side those twelve years, despite the uncertainty and she would’ve grown to love you more each day. You would’ve weaken up with her beside you and fallen even deeper in love with her too. You would’ve married, had a family and be living the life that Hiromi is living with her. In that timeline, she was your true soulmate. However, because of the overlap, she didn’t wait for you and instead followed the path of her alternate timeline in which you normally wouldn’t exist. In that timeline, you would’ve died. No, you should’ve died, but you didn’t, because your will was so strong, it broke the natural order.”

“You mean I’m from the timeline in which I would’ve saved Kayo, but then died in her place?”

“Yes, that’s Kayo’s alternate timeline where Hiromi is her soulmate. However, in the timeline in which you save her and live, Hiromi would’ve died. If you see the pattern here, an individual’s soulmates cannot exist in the same timeline together. Kayo’s soulmates were either you or Hiromi depending on the timeline. Your soulmates were either Kayo or Airi depending on the timeline. If you live within a particular timeline with one or the other, then the other will cease to exist and therefore die. The universe therefore will take whatever actions it deems necessary to fix that. That is unfortunately what happened with you and why you lost Airi and Saori.”

Satoru feels as though he just got hit with a huge revelation all at once. “I can’t believe it…so that means Kayo may have sort of realized that something wasn’t right. Before I left, she started going on about how she felt guilty for not waiting for me. I told her not to think that way because I thought I was meant to be with Airi anyway, but based on what you’ve said, I was the one who was wrong. All that time that she’d been taking care of me when she should’ve been focusing more on her own family…maybe somewhere in her subconscious she realized that she was meant to do so. I really can’t believe it. I’ve had it so wrong this whole time. I’m such an idiot.”

“I doubt she understood that’s what was happening, but I guess you could say she was drifting a bit into her appropriate role for that timeline. But if she’d chosen you, Hiromi would’ve died.”

“This is so crazy, poor Hiromi…. Wait, what about Airi then? Who was her other soulmate besides me? Please don’t tell me it was that Pizza Shop Manager, it’ll make me feel sick.”

“That’s where things get a bit interesting actually. Where most of the people of the universe have at least two soulmates and therefore multiple timelines they exist in; Airi is one of the very rare people who only has one true soulmate. They say those are the souls that are the purest and good of all. Airi only exists in one timeline and her soulmate in that timeline is you.”

Satoru feels the heaviness of what she just said. “Wait, so then…if I’m the only one that exists as her soulmate in that timeline, then if my timelines were crossed and I survived in my timeline with Kayo, while still following my timeline with Airi…then her Satoru of her own timeline would have….” Madoka nods and Satoru really does feel sick to his stomach.

“Her Satoru became you once you found her in your twisted Kayo timeline and so hers…died.”

“So in another timeline out there, Airi is all alone with no one to love again? That’s too sad!”

“Unfortunately, the universe isn’t always the nicest, but that’s just how it is. However, you could save her from that if you wish, but in return, you’ll have to sacrifice your previous life till now.”

“What exactly do you mean?” He asks this, but it only takes him a moment to realize it himself. “Oh, I see…. I’d have to leave Kayo behind wouldn’t I? If I choose to go to Airi, I can be with her again as I’ve always wanted and resume my life that I had been living happily with her until the accident, but in return I’d no longer be able to see Kayo and have her as a friend. Right?”

“Yes, that’s right. You’d be getting just what you started on this journey for, but are you willing to sacrifice the friendship you and Kayo have formed to do so? Can you let her go?”

“Can I let who go? Are you referring to Kayo or Airi?”

“That is exactly the question Satoru. Only you can answer that. You have to choose.”

Satoru feels as though he’s just reached a massive crossroad that has a road of spikes no matter which path he takes, he’s going to be in pain either way. He’s come to really appreciate his friendship with Kayo. Even though his romantic feelings had subsided, at least he thought they had; he still has a hard time accepting having to live a life knowing he can’t go see her at any time. They’ve shared so many memories together and most of all, they’ll always have that terrifyingly wonderful experience between them, or having worked together to save her and Hiromi too. As long as he never pursued any romantic relationship with her, he could live in a timeline where he, Kayo and Hiromi could all live happily as friends, but it’d be at the cost of being alone forever, since he had no Airi there anymore. He could maybe live with that, but then he thinks of the other Airi. She’s in her own timeline, all alone because a faux Airi stole him away from her. He could live alone for the rest of his life, but to make that Airi suffer the same fate seems too cruel. Also, the fact that he is her one and only soulmate must mean something. It can’t be a fluke that they were able to be together, even if in the wrong timeline. Perhaps it could even be that….” Satoru has a sudden epiphany and all at once makes his decision. “Madoka, Homura, I’ve made my decision. I-.” They both shake their heads, but Homura speaks now.

“No need to say it. Let this be your guide.” They join hands and together create a new blue butterfly, similar but different from before. “It will bring you to exactly where you want to be.”

It flutters over to him and as it does, he starts to notice cracks in the atmosphere. “What’s going on? It seems like the realm is…breaking?”

“That’s exactly what’s happening. Now that I’ve finally defeated my inner demon, this realm no longer has the power it needs to persist. I created this realm as a manifestation of my powers and it became the root of time travel, but once it breaks down, it will be gone forever and with it, it will take away any possibility of time travel. I believe that this is for the best though, because we’ve all seen personally how damaging it can be on the natural order. That’s why once you’ve made your choice, there can be no going back. All timelines will be refreshed, like you would a glitch computer. It’s not a full reset and so all the memories and events of each timeline will persist, but all the inconsistencies and chances for error will not. Order will then be restored.”

“I understand. What of you two then? Will you return to your body Homura? What of Madoka?”

They both look a bit down, but then holding their hands tighter together and with a reassuring smile to the other, they return to ease. Homura then says, “I’ve been a part of this realm for a long time and Madoka has in turn been inside of me. She has no body to return to and due to her existence being erased, there is no timeline in which she could be transferred to. I’ve passed through so many timelines of my own, I’m not sure I can return to the one I came from and my body has probably long since been deteriorated. So I’d imagine that the two of us will just drift away, up there to that ethereal plane.” Satoru looks sad, feeling it’s all just too tragic. Homura laughs. “Don’t look so depressed Satoru, it’s ok. My life was over anyway the day that Madoka went away and my goal has always been to return to her side. So this is actually the best thing that could’ve happened to me. I can’t think of a happier fate than to spend eternity in oblivion with my own soulmate. So don’t feel sad for us. Now, it’s time for us to say goodbye.”

A bright light begins to shine in front of Satoru and he realizes that this is his way out. He turns back to them and smile gratefully. “I guess this is it then. Thank you so much Homura for helping me on this journey and thank you to you Madoka, for allowing me the chance.”

Madoka smiles. “We should be thanking you silly! I hope you have a happy life Satoru, with whoever it may be that you’ve chosen. Be sure to live it to the fullest and don’t waste it!”

They both wave goodbye and see him off with pleasant smiles. He returns their gestures and then with a deep breath and no hesitation, he steps into the light, behind his little blue butterfly.


	13. Epilogue

Kayo sits at the small kitchen table and taps her fingers idly. It’s been two weeks since Satoru left and she hasn’t heard a word from him. Sachiko will be returning from her trip tomorrow and she’ll have to inform her that her son is missing. She’s sure she’ll be angry and scold her forever letting him go on such a fool’s quest, and she’d hate to cause her pain, but even still, she can’t bring herself to regret it. Satoru was so sure of himself and that he would come to find this Revival, he seemed so adamant about. She’d never seen him so certain of anything in the time she’s known him. She’s going to miss his company and it’s hard to know that she’ll likely never see him again.

However, she still has her memories, memories of her time with him. Memories of his hard work and dedication to save her in from such a dangerous situation. Memories of how they caught the bad guy all those years later by working together. Yes, she may have lost him in body, but nothing; not the universe or otherwise, can take away her memories of him and all he’s done for her; for all of them. It’s thanks to him that she can even be living today. He’s already given her twelve years of his life, so it’s only fair that she allows Airi to have the rest. She can’t really explain it, but despite what the most logical explanation for the fate of persons missing for over two weeks, she somehow feels that he’s not dead. No, she knows it. He’s alive out there somewhere, but she hopes that he finally found his precious blue butterfly and that it lead him back to his family as he was so sure it would. She has to believe it wasn’t for nothing.

She stands and gathers her things and turns out the lights. She opens the door, locks it and returns the key to the slot. As she stands in the doorway, she looks once more at the inside of the home she’s unlikely to see again. As she shuts the door, she looks up at the sky. It’s clear and filled with stars. Across the sky, she sees something small and blue soar up to the stars and she thinks of Satoru. With a smile; she whispers one final question, hoping it’ll reach him.

 

“Satoru...did you find it?”

 

 

###

Satoru runs down the street, periodically checking his watch. “Oh man, don’t let me be late!” He turns off to another street and thinks he’s on track, but then he passes a bakery and sees they’ve got melon buns on sale. “Oh, I can’t pass that up, Kayo absolutely loves those.” He decides to stop in, but intends to do so quickly. “Excuse me, I’d like to buy some bread!”

A woman comes out from the back and smiles when she sees Satoru. “Oh, haven’t seen you in a while. Let me guess, melon buns for Kayo right?” She starts to pick them out one by one.”

“Oh, you’re the best Tsubaki-chan! How are you and Watari doing? Well I hope?”

“Yea, we’re fine. Though I had to scold him for looking at another girl too long the other day.”

“I was just admiring her outfit!” Watari calls out from the kitchen and Satoru laughs.

“I’m glad to see you two are in good spirits. I’m off to the school now, wish me luck.”

“Of course. Say hello to that dorky loser for me too would you. Tell him to stop by sometime.”

“Will do, thanks Tsubaki!” He pays and then runs out the door. However, he bumps into someone. “Oh, I’m so sorry. It was my fault for not looking where I was going!”

Someone laughs and he looks up to see it’s Yuzuru. Beside him smiling as well is Kanade. “It’s ok, I’m a doctor. Do be careful though Satoru, and give my best to everyone.” They wave and continue inside the bakery, where they had first met him, as far as they know anyway. He continues his sprint and arrives at the elementary school, as he hears them announcing the start.

“Attention parents, the performance is about to begin. The students will be singing a variety of songs for you today, accompanied by our most revered guests, Kousei and Emi Arima-san!”

There is applause and the kids begin to set up on stage. Looking around Satoru finally spots his targets. Standing in the back row is a woman with long chestnut hair, brown eyes and a warm smile. Beside her is a middle school girl, eager to find her sister on stage. To him, this is the most beautiful sight ever. “Airi, Saori!” They both turn and look at him, their smiles beaming. “Sorry I’m late, but I couldn’t help but pick up a little treat for Kayo. It’s her favorite, melon buns. I figure she might need a good snack to celebrate after the show. I saw everyone too, they say hi. It’s still hard to believe they’d all end up in the same timeline as us though. It’s crazy.”

Airi giggles. “Well, I find it to be sensible. Why wouldn’t they end up in the same timeline as the man who saved them from their turmoil. I mean, that must be fate at work right? You found us again after all. I’m glad you did, but how could you be sure that we’d be your Airi and Saori?”

“Oh, well that’s simple. I told you didn’t I? That I’d find you again? I meant every word.”

“But to figure out that when we died in that other timeline, we’d manifest in this one…it’s nothing short of genius. We could’ve been totally different people if you were wrong.”

“Oh, well that’s simple too. All I had to do was-.”

“Please everyone, take your seats. The show’s about to begin. Please refrain from talking.”

Airi shakes her head, saying they’ll have to finish talking later. Right now it’s all about Kayo and her first performance as a first year elementary student. When Satoru came out the end of that portal, he found himself back in the city where he lived. He knew what he had chosen, but for a moment, he wondered if he’d actually returned to Kayo. However, the blue butterfly continues to flutter and he followed it to his home, looking just as he remembered it. It’s was the home where he lived with Airi once they got married, where she gave birth to Saori and where she would later give birth to their second daughter four years later. After Satoru had explained his entire journey to Airi and the circumstance of having to leave Kayo behind to be with them again, she suggested and Satoru agreed; that they’d name her Kayo. This way, Kayo did exist in this timeline, even if only in name and her memory would also live on with them, even if her memory of Satoru did not. He knew that she’d have Hiromi and Mirai to keep her happy. So that’s why, as he followed that butterfly and walked through the door, he knew before he even saw them that he was home, and so he announced as such. Standing there together, the two smiled with their arms open wide as they said, “Welcome home”. He smiles and he can imagine just what Kayo would ask if she could see him just one more time. Kayo…Yes, I found it. Having served its purpose, his blue butterfly flutters away and he watches as it goes; vowing once more;

Even until the end of time, I’ll continue to search for my little blue butterfly…

 

 

…because it’ll always lead me to you.

 

-End-


End file.
